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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22493011">it's a timeless verity.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/arurun/pseuds/%E3%83%AA%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B9%20-%20riris'>リリス - riris (arurun)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>in memory of the ones that live again. [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack Treated Seriously, Cute Kids, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Fatherhood, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Karen is given the Inspirational Talk Redemption TM, Makarov has a debt already, Mentions of Past Slavery, No Romance, Not a lot but it's there, Original Character-centric, Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Canon, Reincarnation, Slavery, slowly gathering an army of adorable murder children</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-29 06:08:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>65,117</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22493011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/arurun/pseuds/%E3%83%AA%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B9%20-%20riris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Living once as an overworked teenage mom (dad, big brother, whatever) taught him a lot of things. For example-- don't pick up anymore children that look homeless, and don't save anymore little girls that are being herded in by suspicious older men.</p><p>"And somehow I became delegated nanny of the guild. Amazing. Bring on all the little gremlins, why don't you? I'll start a fucking daycare at this point. I should charge for this."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>in memory of the ones that live again. [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1458094</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1495</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Emmas_Recs, Fics That Make Me Feel Good, Lemonaide favs, Precious Rare and Unique, Reincarnation and Transmigration, Stories That Deserve More, oc self insertSI</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. brooding faces.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to another story! I should seriously stop making new stories. Someone asked me how I update (almost) all of them regularly and let's just say that my assignments are crying at me, desperately pleading for me to do them. Also, I'm a hermit crab addicted to coffee.</p><p>This story is more crackish than angst (yay) in contrast to my other stories, but I hope you enjoy this either way! This story is currently Pre-canon, but I'll eventually move on in the years. I'll start all the way from before Cana even joined and slowly give him more kids to pamper or smth. </p><p>The main boy of this story is two years older than Laxus. For clarification, his name, Eir, is pronounced "Heir" or "Air". </p><p>Anyways, enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh, you're making a face. What's wrong this time?"</p><p>"I'm living in a fucking anime."</p><p>"Well that sounds rough, buddy. Want a milkshake?"</p><p>The boy groaned, but accepted the milkshake with a brooding expression. The ice-cold glass drenched his gloves with condensation, but he didn't quite mind. He set a palm on his chin, musing at the activity in the guild.</p><p> </p><p>Enno was dancing on the table, and the adults in the guild were gawking. Macao was pretending he wasn't staring. In the other corner, little Laxus was with Master, trying to <em>not</em> electrocute everyone with his new Dragon Slaying Magic.</p><p> </p><p>"What's with the grumpy face, Eir?"</p><p>A hand was set on his head, ruffling the white locks around and definitely trying to make a mess. When Eir shoved it away, the offending man just laughed.</p><p>"Gildarts," he sneered.</p><p> </p><p>He just laughed louder. "Oh, you're so uncute," he said, "look at Laxus. He's a whole ball of sunshine and he's just two years younger. Learn from him."</p><p>"I'd be around your age if I added all the years in my past life. I do not need to be <em>cute</em>."</p><p>"Sure, kid."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It's the year X771, and Eir Macmillan is tired. He's only been a Fairy Tail mage for three years (and why exactly he joined in the first place, he's too exhausted to let himself think of it ever again) and everyone just unanimously makes him want to die.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone treated him like a kid. He hadn't been treated like a kid since he was eight and in his past life-- <em>ugh, memories</em>-- so he evidently disliked the attention.</p><p>People eventually understood his discomfort and began to not smother him with love in all directions, but every once in a while someone would throw him in the air and everyone would be quite literally <em>fighting</em> to hug him.</p><p> </p><p>God, to hell with wholesome animes. Isn't this author infamous for unnecessary angst? Where are the tortures and the dead parental figures? Bring it on already!</p><p> </p><p>"You know, the world'll be a little rosier if you would just smile a little more," Gildarts said, sitting down beside him and gesturing for a mug of booze.</p><p>Curse this world and their cheesy one-liners.</p><p> </p><p>"The world is a culmination of particles and elements and whatever the fuck Darwin or whoever thinks up. Colour is some other theory and all in all it's a joke concept. We are all in an illusion and I am hoping I wake up soon."</p><p>"O<em>kay</em>, edgelord."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir glared at him. Gildarts stared right back, without heat. Eir slurped on his milkshake, and Gildarts downed his booze in one shot.</p><p>The boy kicked himself off the seat, landing on the ground with a clank of his steel-laced boots against the wooden flooring. Pointing a gloved finger at Gildarts, he declared, "you're annoying."</p><p> </p><p>And everyone in the vicinity burst into laughter.</p><p> </p><p>"Gildarts got told off by a kid!" they guffawed dramatically. Gildarts started yelling about how 'I DID NOT', but it all fell on deaf ears.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>"Eir!" Laxus, precious little Laxus, ran over, "look what I can-- oops."</p><p> </p><p>The blond touched Eir's arm-- and a wave of electricity coursed through him, eliciting some sort of shriek from the older boy.</p><p>After the initial indoor lightning strike, smoke rose from his ears, and his hair stood straight up. His face crumpled into a frown, and Laxus laughed, adorable but entirely unapologetic.</p><p> </p><p>"Sorry, I'm not used to it yet! Are you okay?" he had the gall to sound cheeky.</p><p> </p><p>Eir set a hand on Laxus' cheek and <em>pulled</em>.</p><p>Wakaba sat on the counter beside them, doubling over in laughter. Eir wondered if he should pull that cheek too. Or poke him in the eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"It's so fluffy!"</p><p>Laxus held out a plastic comb, reaching as high as he could toward Eir's hair so he could smooth it down for him. When that didn't work, because Laxus was a little more than a head shorter than Eir, Gildarts picked up the boy and set him on the bench so he could reach.</p><p> </p><p>The minute they were done, Laxus cheered, which set off another wave of lightning. This time it didn't shock anyone, but his hair rose like hackles off his heads. Again.</p><p>"Laxus!" Eir roared, and the boy scrambled out of the chair, running off.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone was stuck in an endless loop of laughter as Eir chased Laxus around, the latter wailing for his Grandfather as they ran circles around the guild, clambering onto tables and setting off sparks of electricity everywhere.</p><p>It was all in good fun, and the audience eventually started taking bets on the victor of the chase.</p><p> </p><p>As of now in the guild, the only children were Laxus, and Eir. It made sense that they got along.</p><p> </p><p>In a rambunctious, drunkard-ridden area like Fairy Tail, children often stayed away-- but three years ago, a lost Laxus was walked home by a malnourished-looking Eir, and he was never allowed to leave again. The daycare project just grew from there.</p><p>Now Laxus was crying.</p><p>He sported a big bump on his head, and Enno had him in a hug, soothing him gently.</p><p>"There, there," she said, "Eir's a big meanie, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"Eir's a big meanie," Laxus sniffled.</p><p>Eir huffed. He smoothed down his own hair, tucked his hands into his coat pocket, and looked away with maybe a <em>little</em> guilt in his senses.</p><p> </p><p>"It's sure nice having kids around," Makarov sighed contentedly at the sight, "makes things lively without causing too much of a mess."</p><p>"And Laxus gets a positive role model?" Macao suggested.</p><p>"And Laxus <em>finally</em> gets a positive role model," Makarov agreed.</p><p> </p><p>Not that it lasted. The next minute had Eir saying fuck as he kicked a bench into the air. He got grounded after that, because Laxus couldn't stop asking everyone in the guild what 'fuck' was.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Being reincarnated into <em>Fairy Tail</em> of all places was honestly a <em>blessing</em>. If you were to ask anyone what world they would rather be reborn into-- they'd probably say Pokemon, or Fairy Tail, or any world equally as childish and without war.</p><p> </p><p>This world was a place of magic and dreams. Peaceful, and filled with good things. The fun things were fun, the sad things were sad. Friends were family, and love was thrown about in hordes, because everyone was kind.</p><p>When Eir found himself in this world, he thought it was mockery.</p><p> </p><p>He had worked himself to death, literally. Barely eighteen, shouldering the lives of six younger siblings because the orphanage was a useless piece of junk that collapsed in on itself.</p><p>Imagine spending your whole life slaving for corporate just so your siblings could have a decent life. Then you wake up, and <em>here, have a peaceful world where it's easy to earn money and adults are all very responsible people with stable jobs!</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Just thinking of it made Eir slam a fist into the table, teeth gritting sharply and a growl rumbling in his throat. He's worried. None of them back there was old enough to work-- if his pay stops coming in for them...</p><p> </p><p>"Eir, bad! No punching holes in things! Gildarts you are being a <em>terrible</em> influence on him!"</p><p>"Hm? Yeah, sorry."</p><p> </p><p>Eir sighed heavily.</p><p>He only vaguely remembered Fairy Tail. Heck if he had time to watch some anime other than when his siblings binged it on TV, but he knew quite a bit based on what they rambled to him.</p><p> </p><p>For example, <b>"Laxus is a total asshole but he's actually really cool!"</b></p><p> </p><p>(Eir absolutely did not see it. Does he go through an angsty teenage phase and change personalities after this?)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But one thing for sure-- is that no matter how frustrated he feels, how anxious he is... this was his new life. This was <em>reincarnation, </em>that dumb plotline of every kid's fantasy.</p><p>And as a victim of that accursed loop, Eir just had to learn from it and move on.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. little differences.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things are very different in a world of magic. Power is dangerous uncontrolled, and Eir hated it. </p><p>He hated being reminded of mistakes he made in the past.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Holding his sword near his chest, Eir gathered up magic inside himself, and breathed in.</p><p>The blade glowed, and a rasp of wind resonated from the hilt, sprouting forth in the form of a silver magic circle. His hair and clothes fluttered in the breeze, and the sword swirled with energy.</p><p> </p><p>“<b><em>Enchant: Wind</em></b>,” he moved, setting the blade at his front, holding it firm with both hands, then raising it to the side-- “<b><em>Strike of a Hundred Miles!</em></b>”</p><p> </p><p>He swung out in a horizontal arc.</p><p>For a second, nothing happened. Then all at once, the three wooden dolls before him were sliced in half, split in the midsection.</p><p>And beyond it-- a tree fell.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Woooahh!!” a voice behind him clapped loudly, cheering, “that was awesome! You cut the <em>tree</em>!”</p><p>Eir turned around, and got an armful of Laxus. After an initially startled moment, Eir’s fists tightened.</p><p>“What are you doing?!” he raised his voice, “tell me if you’re watching! What if I accidentally <em>cut you</em>?!”</p><p>“But you didn’t!” Laxus returned sharply, “you never let me watch you do your magic!”</p><p>“That’s because it’s dangerous!” Eir scolded sharply, “your thunder is one thing, Laxus. I use a <em>blade</em>. If things go wrong, you could’ve gotten hurt! Do you never think of the consequences of what you do?”</p><p> </p><p>At that, Laxus looked stricken, and whatever he intended to say next was stuck in his throat.</p><p>Eir looked positively furious.</p><p> </p><p>And his face lowered considerably. “I made sure I stood somewhere safe-- you don’t have to get <em>that</em> angry…”</p><p>“Enough! Go back to the guild.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Oh c’mon, Eir, you didn’t have to yell at him,” Gildarts sat down beside the boy, who was holding out a fishing pole into the lake. “All’s well no one got hurt, right?”</p><p>“One time is all it takes, Gildarts,” Eir hissed at him. He drew back the fishing rod, set a new bait, and cast it out again.</p><p> </p><p>Gildarts looked at the boy, a meaningful gaze stuck on him. </p><p>Eir had his brows furrowed, and judging from how restlessly his fingers tapped, he was just fishing to let out some of his steam. That was how he calmed down-- by sitting down and pretending to do something that doesn’t require him to focus, fingers playing a scale over and over.</p><p> </p><p>Gildarts sighed. He acted so mature, but he <em>was </em>a kid inside, eh?</p><p> </p><p>“My wind magic is <em>sharp</em>,” Eir said under his breath, “it’s all I can do to condense it into a weapon and control the path. I still can’t control its range and strength, and--”</p><p>“Y’know Eir-- maybe someone’s never told you this before,” Gildarts skipped a stone, and leaned in a little closer to the boy, “what you’re feeling-- that’s called <em>fear</em>.”</p><p>“I am NOT scared!”</p><p>“You are,” Gildarts corrected him immediately, “that’s why you’re angry. Because you didn’t want to hurt Laxus.”</p><p>“Of course I didn’t,” Eir emphasized sharply, “but that has nothing to do with me being <em>scared</em>--”</p><p>“You didn’t think you could control your powers well enough, so you panicked.” Gildarts didn’t pay his outburst any mind, even when the boy clambered up and set an angry fist on his shoulder. “I’m like that too, so I understand--”</p><p>“Don’t compare me to you!”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a pause. Gildarts held Eir’s fists away from where they were punching him, and the boy had tears in his eyes.</p><p>Gildarts stared at the unexpected sight. Looks like he was right on the money.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t understand a <em>single thing</em>!” Eir yelled, “what do you know about it? Have you ever accidentally hurt a child? Have you ever had to look at them every day, knowing that scar on their face is <em>your</em> fault? Have you?”</p><p>And that was the moment Gildarts realized that something-- <em>something</em> was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>There was a story. And it’s not a story of just two to three years ago-- it’s the story behind that ever-tired look in the kid’s face. It’s the reason Eir never looks, acts, or <em>feels</em> his own age.</p><p>(It’s a story Gildarts would truly <em>never</em> understand.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He shouldn’t see Eir as a child-- Eir was as much as an adult as <em>he</em> was-- as Macao and Wakaba were. Gildarts couldn’t talk this out like he would a kid.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Mistakes are made to be a <em>lesson</em>,” Gildarts said, the joke out of his mood and the sternness he only used with the older members in his voice. “Are you going to let it become a trauma, or are you going to be a man and<em> learn</em> from it?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir tore his fist from Gildarts’ hands, and socked the man right in the face.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Whoa, what the heck? Why’s Eir so beat up? Gildarts, what happened to him-- <em>Gildarts??</em>”</p><p>Eir and Gildarts walked right into the guild, but they were wrapped in bandages from head to toe, Eir more so than Gildarts.</p><p> </p><p>Gildarts gave a bashful laugh, “just a little roughhousing, you know!”</p><p>“Gildarts, roughhousing with <em>you</em> is absolutely <em>not</em> roughhousing! What the hell were you doing to Eir?!”</p><p>“I swear I didn’t use any Crash Magic on anything except the trees.”</p><p>“So you <em>did</em> use it?! You’re up against a kid, y’know!”</p><p>“Oh chill, Wakaba. Eir’s a tough kid.”</p><p> </p><p>As they bickered, Eir marched right up to the bar, where Laxus was. He brooded there, drinks in hand, probably ranting to the Master.</p><p>So Eir walked right up and said “I’m sorry!” with a tone that sounded more like he was yelling, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. You can watch me train next time, but you can’t do it without telling me first! Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a pause.</p><p> </p><p>Wakaba spoke up, “Eir, you suck at apologizing.”</p><p>“Shut up!” Eir yelled back, flushing. He swirled to Laxus, pointing at him with a red face as he all but commanded, “come on, you! I’ll show you something <em>really cool </em>as an apology!”</p><p>“Really?!” Laxus, despite everything, beamed. “Something really cool, like some secret sure-fire attack or something.”</p><p>“Yep, something like that!”</p><p>“Okay!” he all but glistened with pure joy. Hopping right off the seat, he chased after the white-haired boy as they made their way out of the guild and back into the forest.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yeah, Laxus was easy to please. He was a child, after all. He didn’t hold grudges, he was only interested in the next best thing from time to time.</p><p>And Eir, who was too socially inept to provide a proper, humble apology, would take full advantage of that.</p><p> </p><p>“Be home in time for dinner!” someone called after them, and the kids chorused back with some sort of wordless yell that was probably a mince of 'okay', 'alright', and 'got it'.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was necessary. Maybe Eir just really needed someone to sock him in the face a few times-- to remind him that his life here is not his life back there.</p><p> </p><p>Here, children were strong, and adults were stronger. There was no limit to how strong you could get, and no one was weak enough to not hold onto themselves in a pinch.</p><p>Eir didn’t need to fret over the children like he did back then.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t need to heft them up on his shoulders and help them walk, step by step.</p><p>Here, he could walk <em>with </em>them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. tiny tag-along</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If you only had two children in the guild, it seemed to make sense that they would get along.</p><p>Except, Laxus always seems like a brat and Eir always seems like a tired dad.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Laxus, I’m going on a job. Stop following me.”</p><p>“No!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir stared at the kid. Laxus had his backpack and everything, like he was planning this all along. He was absolutely sure he hadn’t told anyone except the Master that he was going on a mission today… ah, Master must’ve told him, huh.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re too young to come along,” Eir told him, “I’m not strong enough to bring about someone I need to protect.”</p><p>“I’m already ten years old! Grandpa said I could have my guild mark once my birthday comes!” Laxus denied quickly, “and I can protect myself! I’m a Dragon Slayer now!”</p><p>“When I was your age--”</p><p>“You’re only two years older!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir sighed. Who gave Laxus a crash course on common sense? <em>I thought common sense didn’t exist in this show and I could bullshit my way through everything</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve never been out of Magnolia in your life,” he told the kid, “I don’t want you to get lost while I’m working.”</p><p>“I won’t!” Laxus was persistent this time, his voice levels increasing with each word, “take me with you! Take me with you take me with you <em>take me with you</em>--”</p><p> </p><p>Everyone in the guild was staring straight at Eir. Well stop watching, Makarov, can you do some fucking parenting, your grandkid is kind of probably throwing a tantrum right now?</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Take me with you take me with you take me with you take me with you</em>--”</p><p>And heck, Laxus has some great lung capacity. He’s still going at it.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, alright!” Eir caved, yelling out in utter resignation, “just don’t get in my way, got it?”</p><p>And immediately, the little devil brightened up. “Yay!” he cheered.</p><p> </p><p>Gritting his teeth, Eir took Laxus’ hand and picked out his wallet, reconsidering how much money he had in there. Dear god, he’ll need to take more jobs if he’s going to have to pay for both himself and Laxus every time.</p><p>“I’m off,” he said in the vague direction of the Master.</p><p>“Bye bye grandpa!” Laxus waved cheerfully.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>It was a simple job-- a tree fell into the railway after a thunderstorm, and removing it was tricky because of a landslide, so they decided to just remove a whole section of the forest while they were at it.</p><p>They already have local Water mages, so they just need a Wind mage or a swordsman to cut down the rest of the lumber so they can clear the route as soon as possible and get the trains running again.</p><p> </p><p>The reward was 30,000J. The train tickets are 100J each, to and fro would be 4000J in total-- he’ll need to get Laxus lunch, too. And that souvenir he promised. If he’s lucky, he’ll be able to retain about 16,000J of the reward…?</p><p> </p><p>(Agh. Headache. Is he seriously worrying about money at twelve years old?)</p><p> </p><p>“Eir, are jobs tough?”</p><p>He turned to Laxus. The boy had an unusually saddened look on his face, as if he was actually worried for causing trouble by coming along.</p><p>Eir managed a smile, setting a hand on the boy’s head and ruffling his hair gently.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, just watch,” he said, “I’ll finish this up quickly, and we can go explore the town together and get some souvenirs for Master. Okay?”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>It was supposed to be a simple job.</p><p>And it <em>was</em> simple, at first. The train stopped at Kunugi, and they made the rest of the way on foot. He greeted the workers, who were rather surprised to find a twelve-year-old accepting the job.</p><p>He had to hike up his coat to show them the guild mark at his side before they acknowledged his affiliation. After that, it was a matter of showing his skills. He was accepted as a capable worker eventually, and they began to work.</p><p>Being a kid was exhausting.</p><p> </p><p>“Laxus, try not to get in the way of the adults,” Eir hollered, picking up a rather large log and setting it aside-- then he froze, “wait, what are you holding?”</p><p>“A shiny rock!” Laxus raised it into the air.</p><p>“That’s… great, Laxus.”</p><p> </p><p>Alright, at least it didn’t look like Laxus was going to be a menace anytime soon. He looked toward the pile of thunder-stricken trees, mashed together like some weird crunch of sticks in various weird directions. He’d already cleared the trees surrounding the area, so all that’s left would be the chonky meatpile itself.</p><p> </p><p><em>Yeah, you’d need a Wind Mage for this</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“You think you can do it?” the quest poster, Meor asked, “it’s pretty tricky, even for us…”</p><p>“It’s possible, of course,” Eir responded immediately, “but why didn’t you guys recruit an Earth mage instead? I mean-- it’s a landslide. It’s an... earth and wood mashed potato burger patty.”</p><p>“Don’t be dumb, look at all of that,” Meor grumbled, jabbing a thumb toward the cliff at the other way, “one <em>woosh</em> in the wrong direction and we’ll be looking at another landslide to the left. Better to shear it out from the surface bit by bit, cleaning and clearing as we go.”</p><p>“Which dipshit decided the infrastructure of this area was safe enough for a railroad?” Eir couldn’t help but retort. “Well, anyways, I’ll get started.”</p><p> </p><p>He drew his sword.</p><p> </p><p>“Eir, are you going to do your magic? Can I watch?” and of course, here comes Laxus. Does he have a fucking sensor or something?</p><p> </p><p>“You can watch, but stay behind-- Mister Meor, could you take like, five steps back-- Laxus, stay behind this guy with the stupid fire-looking hair, okay?” Eir told him, “I’m using a different skill from usual, and it’s a little more dangerous, so no complaints.”</p><p>“Okay!”</p><p>“Could you not insult my hair?”</p><p>Eir poised with the sword held straight before his chest. Closing his eyes, a whirl of wind blew forth from the ground, and a silver magic circle, larger than before, spiraled into existence.</p><p>“<b><em>Enchant: Wind</em></b>,” he opened his eyes and focused on the target before him, “<b><em>Gale Burst!</em></b>”</p><p> </p><p>He swung the knife to the right, drew it upward, then swung it back down before setting it back in his starting position before his chest.</p><p>There’s a time delay, but then the lumber <em>split</em>. In curved strikes, the outermost parts were cropped down to little stumps, then struck another two times to stack up in arm-length firewood. The earth was cleaved into a neat mud dome.</p><p> </p><p>“Aaand done,” he sheathed his sword and breathed out, content. “Now to switch with the diggers and water mages… what are you gawking at?”</p><p> </p><p>Meor was there, mouth agape. Behind his knees, Laxus <em>sparkled</em>.</p><p>“Just… didn’t expect that,” Meor gulped, “as expected from a guild mage… you just did hours of work in less than a minute.”</p><p> </p><p>Laxus set his hands on his hips, “that’s because Eir is a Fairy Tail mage!” he declared proudly, boasting for some reason, “this is child’s flay for him!”</p><p>“You mean child’s <em>play</em>,” Eir corrected, quickly, chopping the kid on the head, “and why are <em>you</em> the one bragging?”</p><p>“Ow.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir sighed. Sure, in the past world, you’d have to chop the lumber bit by bit while shearing in the loose parts, like a dangerous game of rocky jenga. Even in a world of magic, being careless in a job like this would still easily cause a collapse.</p><p>Not that it was anything Eir couldn’t handle, jenga is easier when you've got a sword that can strike three directions at once.</p><p> </p><p>He still had to work on his range-- there was a scar on that tree to the left, which he didn’t mean to strike-- but stuff like this isn’t a big deal. He <em>does</em> need to work on getting all the chopped lumber to fall in a more constrained area, but he still gets the job done so all is good. Except the raining splinters of wood.</p><p> </p><p>“Is there anything else I can do?” he asked, looking back at the fire mage.</p><p>“Eh?” Meor stumbled, “oh-- uh, no… actually. That was… it, yeah, that was it. Thanks for your help.”</p><p>“Alright, job over,” Eir cheered monotonously, arm raised, “let’s go explore the town, Laxus.”</p><p>“I wanna eat that weird octopus thing they were selling in that stall!” Laxus cheered after him, “and the railroad station! Is it really haunted?”</p><p>“Alright, alright, I’ll bring you there.”</p><p> </p><p>And the railroad workers watched them with various expressions of stunned, exasperated, and utterly confused.</p><p>Sure, none of the mages here were affiliated or trained in a wizard guild, but was that kid really that much stronger than them? Or is it a Wind mage thing to be able to do that easily?</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, Mister Meor?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"You can just send the bill to Master after your work is done!"</p><p>"Eh-? Wait, you don't need it now?"</p><p>"Nah, you guys look busy!"</p><p> </p><p>Laxus and Eir were an odd pair. Laxus undeniably looked up to Eir, and a big influence on that was probably how close in age they were. There were no other children in the guild, so in Laxus’ eyes, Eir was a brother and a friend at the same time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir always seemed to narrowly tolerate Laxus’ existence, but anyone could tell without glasses that Eir adored the boy. From the first day Eir walked Laxus home, they’ve always held hands like the pair of children they were. Intimate, innocent, and brotherly.</p><p>When Eir was with Laxus, no one doubted that Laxus would be safe. Eir, despite his grumpy, short-fused personality, was madly protective of the younger boy.</p><p> </p><p>That was the kind of relationship they had.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. baby alberona.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir loves kids. He lived a past life surrounded by kids, so naturally he is absolutely great with kids.</p><p>Instant regret TM</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Uh… when will Gildarts come back?”</p><p> </p><p>It’s X772, and Eir comes home to a strange sight. A little girl, couldn’t be any older than five or six years old, was talking to Macao and Wakaba at the bar.</p><p> </p><p>Wow. Dangerous.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you pedophiles doing?” he asked, setting his bag on the desk.</p><p> </p><p>“Who’re you calling a pedophile?” Macao snapped back, “who even taught you that word, anyway?”</p><p>“Oh Eir, you’re back!” Wakaba laughed, unaffected by Eir’s remarks at this point, “this little one wants to meet Gildarts, but he just left.”</p><p>"Hehh."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir crouched down. The girl was small-- really tiny. She held a leash for a white puppy, and had a small sack on her back. From the mud on her shoes and grime on her features, she had probably been travelling for a while now.</p><p><em>Such a small child, travelling alone?</em> Eir softened.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hi there, what’s your name?” he asked, and all people around him collectively released a dramatic gasp.</p><p> </p><p>“I-” the girl stutterd out, a flush in her cheeks, “I’m Cana.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s a cute name,” Eir responded with a smile, ignoring the idiots staring at them, “my name Eir. It’s spelled with an E, but it’s pronounced ‘Air’, weird, right?”</p><p>He chuckled a little, and Cana giggled.</p><p>“That’s a really weird name,” she agreed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In the crowd, people were pinching each other and shaking each other desperately, pointing exaggerated fingers at the scene.</p><p> </p><p>“You are <em>seeing </em>this, right?” Macao hissed at Wakaba, “that devil of a brat is <em>smiling</em>! This isn’t a dream? I’m not hallucinating?? He’s making a very soft and gentle voice but that’s my imagination too, right?!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir felt irked at that, face darkening in that direction.</p><p>“Your puppy’s really well behaved,” Eir smiled again, rubbing an affectionate hand on the little white puppy, “does he have a name?”</p><p>“Uhn!” Cana was a little excited for some reason, “his name is Dart!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir couldn’t help but fawn at that. She was <em>adorable</em>. Her hair was dark brown, slightly curled-- just like his little sisters from his past life.</p><p>“Then, little Cana, are you going to wait for Gildarts to come back?” he asked, and when she nodded, he continued, “it’ll take a while… do you have anywhere to stay?”</p><p>Cana looked crestfallen. She didn’t.</p><p>Eir blinked.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, let’s bring you to Fairy Hills for now and get you washed up, then,” he said, easily winding an arm around the girl’s frame and picking her up, along with her dog. “I’m sure Granny Hilda would be willing to spare a room.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Setting the quest completion scroll on the counter next to the Master, Eir walked out of the guild with the little girl in his arms… leaving a whole trail of gaping faces behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Enno finally spoke up, “now we know it’s not just with Laxus.”</p><p>“He a lolicon?” someone else asked. “Or a shotacon?”</p><p>“But he’s a shota too right now, though?”</p><p>“I’ve never seen him so happy before. We should’ve taken <em>pictures</em>.”</p><p>“Gildarts would never believe us. <em>Gildarts would never believe us!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Quit being a mage.”</p><p>“Hello to you too, Granny Hilda.”</p><p> </p><p>The old matron of Fairy Hills was an unsavory woman with an unhealthy hatred of mages, but Eir was numb to it by now.</p><p>Eir had honestly never been here aside from small-scale deliveries. (And since he was now thirteen, he was no longer considered a child and was now disallowed from entering the girls’ dorm, as every male was.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Granny Hilda, could you take care of little Cana here? She’ll need a room and a shower, and if you have spares from what Enno left behind, could you get here some fresh clothing? I’ll take her shopping later.”</p><p>Granny Hilda stared at him, arms crossed. Her eyes fixed on the girl in his arms.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll be paying?” she asked after a moment.</p><p>“Of course,” Eir said.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a pause as they both stared at each other, meaningful glare to solemn composure. Cana sat stiff in his arms, wondering how she ended up in the middle of such a cold war.</p><p> </p><p>“Come with me,” Granny Hilda said, turning back toward the dorms.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir set Cana on the ground, and urged her to go on.</p><p>“Don’t worry, she’s pretty mean, but she’s a nice old lady deep down,” Eir assured her, pointing at the old lady, “that’s the girls’ dorms, and you can stay here as long as you need while you’re in Magnolia. Go get washed up, then let’s go tour the town, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Little Cana nodded, dog still in her arms.</p><p>“Can you hold onto Dart for me?” she asked, thrusting the puppy in his direction.</p><p>Eir blinked. A sudden sign of trust from a child? He's flattered.</p><p>“Of course I can.”</p><p>“Thank you!”</p><p> </p><p>When she rushed in after Granny Hilda, there was a smile on her face as she gawked around Fairy Hills, admiring the courtyard and everything about it.</p><p>Well, that was an accomplishment.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“So that’s why you came all this way to find Gildarts…” Eir bit on the wooden ice cream spoon, “well, if he really doesn’t know you… I’ll punch him for you!”</p><p>“Eeeek,” Cana squeaked, almost crushing the ice cream cup in her hands, “it-- it’s okay, you don’t have to… punch him…”</p><p> </p><p>Frankly, Eir was at the verge of his self control. He had choked on his soda when Cana told him who her father was, and he hadn’t had the courage to try drinking it again.</p><p> </p><p>First things first, what the <em>fuck, </em>Gildarts.</p><p>Second of all, how the <em>hell</em> did this adorable little angel come from a screwup like Gildarts?</p><p>Thirdly-- is that why the dog’s name is Dart?</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t know how to ask without sounding insensitive about it. This was a girl that recently lost her mother, after all. And if his past life taught him something, you don’t ask for what children like these don’t give. They probably won’t like it.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’ll wait with you,” he put a hand on Cana’s head, “since you’re Gildart’s kid, you’re kinda like my little sister now!”</p><p>Cana swirled around, surprised.</p><p> </p><p>Eir grinned. “I haven’t had a sister yet. Do you have a big brother?”</p><p>Cana shook her head, stunned by the sudden suggestion.</p><p> </p><p>“Then it’s decided! I’m your new big brother from now on,” he chuckled. “Oh, I’ll need to introduce you to Laxus later… he’s also older than you, so I guess he’ll be your big brother too? Oh well, you can’t have too many big brothers in your life.”</p><p>Eir leaned in closer, wrapping her in a gentle, shoulder hug. Cana flushed slightly-- but didn’t pull away. It was warm, in a different way from her mother’s hugs.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t hate it at all.</p><p>So she smiled, she laughed-- and just a little, she realized that she would be able to enjoy herself here in Magnolia, even without her father.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Cana and Laxus were hate at first sight.</p><p> </p><p>“Eir promised to train with me today!”</p><p>“No, he said he was going to show me around the East Forest!”</p><p> </p><p>Well you see sweeties, Eir is absolutely fucking exhausted and it’s eight in the goddamn morning, where the fuck are your daddies could you go pester <em>them</em> instead?</p><p>
  <em>Ah, right. Ivan ran the fuck away to the dark side and Gildarts is an old coot that sticks his dick everywhere he can find. Just great.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>With Laxus clinging to one arm and Cana all over the other, Eir wanted to toss them over the edge of the mountain to be rid of them. But Dart was glaring at him, so maybe not.</p><p> </p><p>Eir yawned. How did they even get into his room? Onto his bed? Why are they fussing over him before he even woke up like that’s supposed to be a normal thing?</p><p>This was absolutely not an ideal way to greet the morning.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Eir, tell her you’re busy today!” Laxus whirled on him, finally turning the argument to the boy who, in his just-awakened glory, was still groggy.</p><p>“No, Eir and I have a date!” Cana was already on the bed, sprawled in his lap, arms hugging his arm like it was a lifeline. Who taught her what a date was? She sounded more like she was claiming possession of a servant than a boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir, for one, did not remember agreeing to either of those plans.</p><p> </p><p>“Training!”</p><p>“Forest!”</p><p>“Training!”</p><p>“Forest!”</p><p>Dart barked at them, as if adding in his own argument for their plans for today.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir was <em>this</em> close to throwing all of them out of the room, and seeing as this is text and you can’t see the fingers, I’m taking the liberty of telling you that his fingers are touching.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Eir is <em>my</em> big brother!”</p><p>“No, he’s <em>mine</em>!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir got up and tossed them out the door.</p><p> </p><p>He wanted at least another hour before dealing with this bullshit.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Eir: <b>Oh you're such a sweetie precious baby Cana you deserve the world.</b></p><p>Eir, two minutes later: <b>I regret many things.</b></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. rowdy trio.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>No one told them to stick to Eir all the time, but somehow they do. It's like Mama duck with her children, Eir has no idea why the children are hanging out together when they hate each other's guts.</p><p>Also, Laxus, Cana is literally five years younger than you. Be the bigger man.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Look at that. I can’t even tell if Eir adopted <em>them </em>or <em>they </em>adopted Eir.”</p><p> </p><p>At the tables, the three children were eating their breakfast. Eir sat in the middle, trying to down his miso soup. They had a plate of omelette rice and a plate of meat-and-potato stew on rice to share among the three of them, and for some reason, Cana and Laxus were fighting for the plate further than they sat.</p><p>Eir would switch the position of the plates around, but then they’d start fighting for the other plate instead. Eir was so done.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re eating everything!”</p><p>“I’m bigger than you, I am <em>allowed</em> to eat more!”</p><p> </p><p>He can’t even eat a meal in peace.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Setting the bowl on the table, he reached for a tissue, casually reaching down to wipe at the corners of Cana’s mouth. The girl was still yelling at Laxus, something about him being fat, that she barely even noticed Eir doing anything.</p><p>Pouring out a cup of water, Eir set it in front of Laxus. Laxus was yelling back at Cana, proving vehemently that he was <em>not fat, </em>and they were <em>muscles</em>, then he took the cup and gulped it right down. After that, he started shouting again.</p><p>Eir was honestly impressed at how <em>into</em> their quarrelling they could get.</p><p>But okay. Makes his job easier on him.</p><p> </p><p>“Finish the food quickly,” he said, and the two beside him froze shock still. “I need to drop by Miss Porlyusica’s place, so you should hurry if you want to be back by sunset.”</p><p>That was probably the first time anyone saw children wolf down a meal that quickly.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“I told you last time that I hated humans, didn’t I?” the pink-haired lady growls sharply at them, “why did you bring more tykes? Go away!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cana and Laxus were hiding behind Eir, Cana near tears and Laxus trying not to make it too obvious that he was essentially rattling in his skin.</p><p> </p><p>“Eir, she’s going to eat us!” Cana wailed, digging herself under the boy’s coat so she could cling closer.</p><p>“I don’t want to be eaten,” Laxus’ hands were tugging and crumpling Eir’s coat to pieces, and he was making himself as small as possible behind the older boy.</p><p> </p><p>(So they <em>can</em> agree on something. That’s great.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir, blank faced, just looked up at the lady.</p><p>“I’m just here to pick up the usual,” he said, “and I didn’t bring them along, they insisted on following me.”</p><p>“It’s the same thing,” Porlyusica scowled, reaching into the table next to the doorway and depositing a small pouch in his hands, “here you go. Now scram.”</p><p>And she shut the door on them.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you very much,” Eir said, definitely unheard by the lady.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Now Cana and Laxus were staring at the pouch, curious. What would Eir have to pick up, that he had to come all the way into the forest and talk to that scary children-eating, human-hating lady?</p><p>(Come to think of it, this would be the first time Laxus followed him to meet Porlyusica. He’s always been scared of the lady, though Makarov’s a friend of hers.)</p><p> </p><p>After a few sniffs, Laxus started, “it smells like cookies!”</p><p>And Cana gasped, “cookies?!”</p><p>Eir, reacting immediately with the instinct of a trained big brother, held it high above his head before the two idiots pounced at it.</p><p> </p><p>“No!” he said, raising his voice to sound stern, “these cookies are not normal cookies. They’re, uh-- they’re poisonous.”</p><p>“That’s obviously a lie!” Laxus declared, leaping for it, only for the older boy to swerve it away from reach. Laxus tried again, lunging for the pouch, “you just want the cookies to yourself!”</p><p>“Cookies! Cookies!” Cana jumped in her spot, getting nowhere nearer to the pouch.</p><p> </p><p>Eir groaned internally. He should’ve never brought them here.</p><p>Sure, the cookies weren’t exactly <em>poisonous</em>, per se, but they were pretty darn close. Even Porlyusica said they could be fatal if used in large amounts. Not that that was why Eir was taking them… he was not going to kill someone or himself, no.</p><p> </p><p>“These aren’t normal cookies,” he repeated himself, “they’re treated with potions and spelled with magic. It’s my medicine.”</p><p>A startled silence settled among them.</p><p>“Are you sick?!” the two shrieked, looking like they were going to explode from the panic.</p><p> </p><p>They ran circles around him, yelling incoherence one after another as they had some sort of mental breakdown. Then Cana started crying about hospitals and people dying and Laxus was flustered for a completely different reason.</p><p><em>God</em> Eir hated his life. He wondered if he did something in his past life to warrant his ever involvement with overdramatic children.</p><p> </p><p>He sighed.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>They couldn’t settle on training or the East Forest, so they went for training in the East Forest instead.</p><p>Stellar problem solving skills, if Eir could say for himself.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Little Cana, how much do you know about magic?”</p><p>Eir and Laxus sparred. Eir’s magic was a little dangerous to play around with, so with Laxus he never used beyond a long wooden pole as a conduit.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Laxus’ magic was a strained electric wire popping with sparks every few seconds. Alarmingly dangerous, but contained enough to not burn down the city. Against Eir, he didn’t really need to hold back, anyways. He was still too wet behind the ears to use his powers to its full potential.</p><p>Eir was always a clear notch above Laxus, but they often made for a good spar.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know much,” Cana admitted. She was sitting on a rock nearby, watching the scene with a little amusement, but mostly bored. She didn’t quite get the charm of these spars.</p><p>“Are you--” Eir ducked down sharply to avoid a high punch, then he twisted his staff, sending Laxus carooning back toward a tree. Turning back toward Cana, he resumed his sentence as if he hadn’t been interrupted, “--interested in magic?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not really,” Cana covered her eyes in time to blot out Laxus’ bright flash of epic reawakening, “is it usually dangerous like yours and Laxus’?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir snapped away, biting back a curse when he got blinded-- but he continued speaking, “mine is a special case--ouch!”</p><p> </p><p>Laxus kicked him in the wrist, then socked him across the shoulder.</p><p>Curling the staff over his other arm, Eir swung it around his body the other way, landing a solid strike at Laxus’ neck and sending the boy rolling a few drastic paces back, hissing.</p><p> </p><p>“Both of us just have very offensive magic,” Eir said to the girl, who at this point was just exasperated by how Eir was handling a lecture while sparring. She’s also wondering if Laxus was still alive over there. “Daily magic is a little safer. Less combat-based.”</p><p> </p><p>“Daily magic?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah-- hey, Laxus!” Eir yelped when Laxus threw a frog at him, a legitimate actual <em>frog</em>, poor thing-- he dropped his pole in shock, then he caught the boy’s fists, threw him in a twist then flipped him right over.</p><p>Laxus squawked, landing facefirst onto the ground.</p><p> </p><p>Expertly, Eir turned back to Cana, “there’s plenty of magic that aren’t primarily for battles. Like Transformation magic, Summoning magic… there’s stuff like Telepathy and Divinity, too.”</p><p>Cana stared at the frog, currently on Eir’s head. “Divinity?”</p><p> </p><p>“You know, fortune telling, dream-catching, sight-lending, all that,” Eir breathed out, arms stretched out before him. Hooking the pole up with his feet, he caught the pole just in time to set it in the way of Laxus’ next kick. “Now then--”</p><p>Laxus was sent flying for the third time that day.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“It’s getting late. Time to go home, Laxus!” he declared, setting the pole upright on the ground beside him.</p><p>“No!” Laxus uprooted himself from his spot, “I haven’t made you use magic yet!”</p><p>“Try again tomorrow, then.”</p><p>“No, the sun hasn’t set yet!”</p><p>“It’ll be down by the time we reach the guild, Laxus.”</p><p>“Nooo! One more round!”</p><p>“No is no, Laxus. Tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next moment had Cana leaping on Eir and declaring for food and that she’s hungry. Laxus immediately starts bickering, yaking at her to get out of the way. Eir had to remind them, for the hundredth time, that they are not supposed to murder each other.</p><p>Then they march back to the guild with a hand each on Eir’s, and they spend the evening fighting over two bowls of food shared between the three of them. Again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Oh boy. Is this really his life now? </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. baked goods.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gildarts comes back and leaves.</p><p>Cana finds something to look forward to.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gildarts finally came home after two months, and unfortunately the first thing he did wasn’t run to Cana sobbing tears of joy.</p><p>So Eir kicked him hard in the shin and, upon Cana’s insistence, didn’t explain why.</p><p> </p><p>“Cana is Eir’s kid now,” Wakaba reported, very helpfully. Gildarts contorted in agony, holding onto his shin and hoping it wasn’t shattered because <em>god</em> that kid had a hard foot.</p><p>And Eir agreed. Wholeheartedly. Screw you Gildarts, Cana's mine.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Now, now, Eir,” Makarov spoke up, reaching a too-long arm out to bonk the boy on the head, “that’s a nasty glare. What have I told you about being hostile to fellow guild mates?”</p><p>“That we’re a family and should treat everyone nice,” Eir muttered reluctantly. “But Gildarts is an asshole so I can--”</p><p>“I did not say that, Eir,” Makarov chastised half-heartedly, “but alright. You can do it if you catch Gildarts hurting someone’s feelings.”</p><p> </p><p>There was a moment when Eir stopped talking to process that information. Then he turned back to Gildarts with a glint in his gaze, and drew his sword.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop! Stop him!” Laxus barked from the other side of the room, more alert than the other adults in the room, clambering across tables in a panic, “Eir, NO! BAD!”</p><p>“<b><em>Enchant: Wind</em></b>--”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir was now walking around with a sign around his neck that read “<em>Currently reflecting</em>”. Munching on his cookies and sporting a big bump on his head, he let himself be loaned out to entertain the kids today.</p><p> </p><p>(On a vaguely unrelated note, Gildarts went right back out of Magnolia on his next job. He needed a new coat to replace that shredded mess Eir caused, anyways.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cana tugged at the highest point she could reach, his long coat, and led him around town. Laxus lagged two steps behind, arguing with Cana the whole way.</p><p>“The ice cream store is the other way,” Cana would point sharply, arms clenched around Eir’s clothes, “we went this way last week!”</p><p>“That’s because we went to see Mommy Cat beside the bookstore. We’re not going that way anymore-- <em>this</em>,” he pointed in the other direction, grasping at Eir’s collar and pulling him the other way, “is the faster route.”</p><p>At this point, Eir was just going to resign himself to this. He chewed on another cookie and shoved the rest in his pocket.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Eir, what do those forbidden cookies taste like?” Cana was now draped over his arm.</p><p>Laxus was leading them on the route towards the waffle store, pouting in defeat.</p><p> </p><p>“Forbidden cookies,” Eir repeated, taken aback, “uh… they taste normal… I guess. Maybe a little sweet. They’re just normal cookies treated with magic, after all. I’m not sure why Porlyusica put them in cookies to begin with…”</p><p>“You have it so nice, the scary pink grandma bakes you cookies every week,” Laxus muttered. His hands clasped to rest behind his rest, and although Eir couldn’t see from this angle, he just knew the boy was pouting.</p><p>“We can bake in the guild’s kitchen,” he suggested, “no one really uses it anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>All movement froze.</p><p> </p><p>“Eir, you can bake?!”</p><p>“We can?!”</p><p> </p><p>Dear god, he’d just signed himself up for something terrible, didn’t he?</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Cana, don’t stare at the oven. Your eyes will go bad.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir regretted a lot of decisions, including the decision to try and bake with two murder children in the room.</p><p>Laxus was in time out, standing in the corner with his face against the wall, and Cana was crouched down by the oven staring at the cupcakes in the tray as if it’d make them rise faster.</p><p> </p><p>Cream was all over the room and the counter, flour spilled across a section (half of it is still in Cana’s hair as far as Eir knows) and someone egged the wall at some point. Probably Laxus. The milk was all over the floor in a slippery hazard and yeah, Eir was going to retrieve a mop right about now.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Eir,” she spoke up, “do you think we could save some of this for Gildarts when he comes back?”</p><p>And Eir’s face fell, grip tightening on the broom.</p><p>Despite everything, Cana clung to the understanding that Gildarts was her <em>father</em>. That had to mean something, right? Even if Gildarts didn’t know… the fact was true. It was the man her mother chose-- it was the man that loved her mother.</p><p> </p><p>Eir never had a father. Not in both of his lives, never.</p><p>But if one day, he found out he had one-- maybe he would feel like Cana did, wanting his attention and wanting his love, even when he failed to acknowledge your existence.</p><p>It’s not something that could be replaced by connections built over the guild. Fairy Tail was family, would be family, <em>could</em> be family to her-- but nothing can truly replace blood-connected ties. Just like Makarov and Ivan, Ivan and Laxus… It just wasn’t something Eir could understand.</p><p> </p><p>So he won’t. He won’t try to understand it.</p><p>Instead, he’ll respect it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I think it’ll go bad by the time he returns,” Eir admitted a little disappointedly. Cana’s face sinks into an upset, and Eir set a hand on her head. “But don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll stay a little longer next time, so we can bake another cake when he gets back.”</p><p>“Really?” Cana brightened up.</p><p>“Of course,” Eir said, then he turned to the other occupant of the room, “Laxus can help next time too, provided he doesn’t destroy another metal bowl.”</p><p>“It was an <em>accident!</em>”</p><p>“Does that ‘accident’ include chucking it across the room shouting ‘fuck this I’m using magic’ then blowing it up with fifty thousand volts of electricity?”</p><p>“I <em>said</em> I was sorry!”</p><p> </p><p>Cana burst into laughter.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And across the room, sitting by the counter, Reedus drew up a sketch. He smiled softly to himself as the children bickered, covered in flour and sugar and smelling like baked goods.</p><p>This was a good picture. Definitely one for the books.</p><p> </p><p>The cake they baked, huge and tiered twice with lots of cream and fruits, was shared ecstatically among the guild members.</p><p>The outstanding popularity demanded at least one cake day every two weeks, and Fairy Tail became a wizard guild that smelled like, not just booze, but cake as well.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. silver keys.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For once, Eir gets to go on a solo mission.</p><p>Fate probably has it out for him. Free of two children, he somehow gets another. This is all just some terrible, terrible joke.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s the Wheel of Fortune!” Cana was so excited about it she accidentally declared it loudly, “Eir, you got the Wheel of Fortune card!”</p><p> </p><p>In pure instinct, Eir scrunched up his face and scowled. His hand still deep in the mess of Cana’s hair, so the hair tie between his teeth made for a weird sight.</p><p>“A fateful encounter, right?” he muttered, “leave it to anime cliches to tell me I’m gonna be meeting someone troublesome again. Yikes.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Setting down the comb, he whirled the girl’s hair into a perfect ponytail, and huffed in satisfaction.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe Eir will finally get a girlfriend!” Cana beamed, showing the card to Laxus like it was something amazing, “ah, he can get a boyfriend too, if he wants, I guess.”</p><p>“You know that doesn’t always point to love,” Eir tried, but it fell on deaf ears.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Laxus was considering the card with a very thoughtful expression, arms folded, “well then, the lucky girl will need to learn to share… I mean, <em>we </em>found him first, so Eir is technically ours by right--”</p><p>“I am not <em>anyone’s</em>--”</p><p>“What if she steals Eir from us?!” Cana wailed, tone in despair but face full of sarcastic humour, “I won’t have anyone to tie my hair up for me anymore!”</p><p>“Tie it up yourself!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir groaned, setting his head on the table and wanting to take a year-long nap. When did he become the Tsukkomi of the group?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>X773, Eir is fourteen years old<b>.</b> Laxus is twelve, and Cana is seven.</p><p>For a twelve-year-old, Laxus is <em>painfully</em> tall. Heck, he was almost as tall as Eir and in another year, curse him, he’ll probably overshoot Eir if Ivan’s height was anything to talk about.</p><p>Curse you, tall teenagers.</p><p>(Across the room, Reedus sneezes.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cana had taken to learning the tarot, and her fortunes are always spot on. Some think it comes true because she divined it rather than the other way around. After a suggestion from Macao and Wakaba, and the Master, she’d begun to learn Card Magic too.</p><p>To the left of her belly, her guild mark is black. She and Laxus both chose to have their guild marks set there, exactly where Eir had his own.</p><p>He just hoped this wouldn’t become a trend.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, you two,” Eir started, “what are the rules?”</p><p>“Don’t destroy important things,” Laxus said, matter-of-factly, “and don’t beat up the customer until after he pays you.”</p><p>“Follow Macao and Wakaba and kick them in the balls if they look like they’re leeching over some lady!” Cana added cheerfully.</p><p>“Don’t add unnecessary details, you delinquents in the making!” Eir grinded his teeth, face darkening sharply, “don’t beat up <em>anyone</em>, and stop bullying Macao and Wakaba.”</p><p>“Okaayy,” they sang in unison, absolutely not intending on listening to a single word.</p><p>Eir sighed longsufferingly.</p><p> </p><p>“If you get lost?” he tested.</p><p>“Buy ice cream!”</p><p>“NO!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir is done. He is absolutely done. He is going to go to sleep for a year and absolutely give up on these children. He has failed the great mother. His children are now an independent war tank. His job here is done.</p><p>“Just don’t destroy a town before I get back,” he offered weakly.</p><p> </p><p>With that, Eir shrugged on his coat, picked up the mission paper, and stuffed it into his bag.</p><p>"Eir, you're headed out for a job?" Laxus asked, not having heard of it before now.</p><p>"It's an emergency or something, so Master told me to deal with it," he explained, tugging on a pair of gloves, "some Dark Guild bigshot is making a mess in Shirotsume."</p><p>“Ehhh, I wanna go too!” Cana spoke up with a whiny voice.</p><p>“No, you’re going on a job with Macao and Wakaba,” Eir reminded her, “you need to learn how to hunt magic beasts in a team. Macao and Wakaba are taking you on their job to teach you that.”</p><p>Cana pouted, “but I want to go with Eir…”</p><p> </p><p>Eir sighed. How very nostalgic-- a picture-book definition of an adorable younger sibling that just wants to do everything her older brother is doing.</p><p>“Maybe next time, Cana,” he patted her on the head. He then turned toward the Lightning Dragon Slayer, “and Laxus is headed to Hargeon, right?”</p><p>“My first solo work!” Laxus grinned. He looked a little upset, though, “I kinda wish it could be something cooler than an escort mission.”</p><p>“Will you be fine on the train by yourself?”</p><p>“Urk, I-- I uh, can walk there, right?” Laxus paled, “I don’t need to go on the train, Hargeon Port is like, a three hour walk, two if I run--”</p><p>“Just get on the train, Biribiri,” Eir said.</p><p>“Biribiri!” Cana echoed.</p><p>“What does that even--”</p><p> </p><p class="">-</p><p> </p><p>Eir honestly forgot about the card after that.</p><p>If he was supposed to have a fateful encounter of some sort today, he really hoped it wouldn’t be the guy he’s after. Or would it be something cliche like his hostage?</p><p>Either way it sounded like an utter pain in the ass.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And lo and behold. Look what turned out so perfectly true it ain't even <em>uncanny</em> anymore, it's just pure plot convenience.</p><p> </p><p>In Shirotsume's town hall, a bunch of civilians were huddled at the center, arms bound behind their backs and a horde of Dark Guild minions shouting hoolabalingo like a declaration of liberation. Seated behind them on his quite literal throne (where did they even get that thing) was a… longer, man.</p><p>His name is Brutis, according to the wanted poster.</p><p> </p><p>Long description short he looked like a very tanned slenderman with a Michael Jackson face, complete with the top hat but without the suit.</p><p>Why the heck is he wearing a Letterman Jacket anyways? Is he a sports guy? Does he play basketball? Even Cana could snap those bony wrists like a goddamned twig, please quit.</p><p>No, that wasn't the main problem here.</p><p> </p><p>"You absolute <em>barbarian</em>!"</p><p>Yes, <em>that</em>. What in the absolute <em>fuck</em>.</p><p> </p><p>The girl was young. Eleven or ten, give or take. Her hair was short, and she wore a baseball cap, so in the motley of very alarming colour coordination-- <em>seriously, red cap, red jacket, yellow shirt, green hair, what are you, a rejected traffic light</em>-- Eir couldn't tell that it was a girl until she spoke.</p><p> </p><p>"I had an early mission for once and you just <em>had</em> to come and ruin it!" She pointed at him with the bravery of an absolute idiot, "you are going to <em>pay</em> for this."</p><p>Yeah. NO. <em>This isn't in my job description. I don't have to save suicidal little kids declaring war on a bunch of guys that look pedophilic from a mile away.</em> Yeah.</p><p> </p><p>The girl drew out something from her pocket. A silver… very fancy looking key.</p><p>Wait.</p><p> </p><p>"<strong><em>Open, Gate of the Eagle! I summon thee-- Aquila!</em></strong>"</p><p>WAIT.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And to everyone's equal part horror and awe, a golden magic circle came forth, and in a burst of white smoke, an <em>eagle </em>burst to existence.</p><p>Have you ever seen a bald eagle? Well, honestly I don’t know why they’re called bald eagles-- I mean, they have feathers on their head that kind of look like very sleek straight hair. Well, I take that back. Sorry my past little brother, we can’t call them pretty-haired eagles anymore.</p><p>“Aquila, take them out!”</p><p> </p><p>This eagle had hair. I’m not even-- why is it <em>blue, </em>it looked like someone did a long, steady job of geling it to a perfect upward curve-- and is that a lightning bolt? Is it a hair pin or very gelled white hair? Why?</p><p>The eagle was, <em>thank the lords</em>, in the shape and size of a normal (on the larger side) eagle. But its body, instead of brown and white, was blue and white and very… flamboyant. It looked like a Pokemon.</p><p>Blue lighting crackled with each flap of its wings.</p><p> </p><p>At the girl’s command, the bird backed and soared forward, splicing the air in a blue flash of light. It vanished right before the Dark Guild Wizard-- and then it <em>poured</em>, like a lightning bolt of the gods, fierce and blinding.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>"You better have a good explanation for this, brat."</p><p>"Excuse <em>you</em>? I had the situation handled."</p><p>“Handled? Is that why ten people had to be rushed to the hospital? <em>And</em> the target ran off in the chaos?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The girl was on her knees, hat on the floor beside her. The eagle went home after it short-circuited from using too much of its power, but Eir made sure to give it a nice punch on the head first.</p><p>“Aquila is strong, but he has terrible aim,” the girl held back tears after Eir left a bump on her head that still stung, “I thought it’d be fine this time…”</p><p> </p><p>“If that dumb eagle can miss a target two inches before its beak, the problem probably isn’t the aim,” Eir hissed, inspecting the edge of his hair-- <em>holy crap, his dead ends have been burned away, god is good</em>, “more like, he decided to rain lightning on <em>everywhere except</em> the target.”</p><p>“He didn’t hit that one statue in the corner--”</p><p> </p><p>Eir sighed longsufferingly. This was getting nowhere-- in the chaos, Brutis or Crutis or whatever, just ran off. Ransom and hostage situation be damned, now Eir had to go about searching for him again.</p><p>Geez, he much preferred the hostage situation to a manhunt.</p><p> </p><p>“Uhm,” the girl spoke up again, and flinched when Er turned a glare at her, “uh-- why are you… completely okay? I saw a bolt hit you directly, so…”</p><p>“Ah, me? I’m used to it,” Eir waved his hand dismissively, running a hand through his hair but it was still stood from his thunder-charged state. If he touched someone they’d get the shock of their life. “I got a lightning mage back in my guild, too, and he has-- had-- a hard time controlling his magic too. Got the brunt of the shock all the time.”</p><p> </p><p>The thought of those days he’d chase Laxus around after the boy startled him away with a lightning bolt made a smile curve onto his face. Letting out a laugh, he turned away.</p><p>“I’ll take care of it from here,” he said to her, picking up the cap and dusting it off before pressing it back onto her head, “try not to get in anymore trouble and go home, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>When the girl looked up again, there was a light tint of a blush on her face.</p><p>“Uh--!” she spoke up abruptly before Eir could step away, “I’m really sorry to cause trouble for you… I-- actually, I’m a mage too! Could I uh, you know-- as compensation-- help you with your job?”</p><p>The girl lifted the hem of her shirt, and on her stomach was a blue guild mark.</p><p> </p><p>“Blue Pegasus,” Eir identified. “I appreciate it, but your guild mates are probably worried about you, aren’t they? Are you with anyone today?”</p><p>She shook her head, “I was on a delivery mission, alone! and I finished! I was headed back.”</p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p>“Karen!”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, Karen,” Eir patted her on the head, “I’m fine on my own. But if you want to watch, I guess you can come along if you promise to not do anything without telling me first.”</p><p>And Karen just about sparkled, “promise!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Right.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe he should have just sent her home. Oh well.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. round 'em up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They chase after the target.</p>
<p>Karen's funny keys prove strangely useful.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi guys! I'm so glad this story is getting love, I'm surprised xD Bless all your comments, I adore each and every one of them and they really keep me writing! Thanks so, so much ❤❤❤ </p>
<p>Anyways, this note is to remind people that I have an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/canaeris/">Instagram</a> and currently, there's an <b>Ask my OC</b> going on for none other than <b>Eir!!!</b> If you're interested in the askmyoc, you can drop a question in the story highlights, drop a comment on the <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/840761780-question-ask-my-oc-1-eir-macmillan-fairy-tail/comment/840761780__1582165096_e52d12b174">wattpad askmyoc book</a>.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, Eir, why do you say ‘Enchant Wind’ before doing your magic?” Karen asked, hopping over a tree root, “I’ve heard of Enchantment Magic. Usually it’s like, super strength or all that, right? Someone in my guild does that a lot too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eir set a hand on his sword.</p>
<p>“It helps me focus, I guess,” he said, “It’s like how you always chant your full summoning before calling a spirit. Magic chants are a guide to stable magic channelling.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Karen made a hum in acknowledgement.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eir continued, “Magic Enchantments, like mine-- it's when you give weapons an element-- are a little weaker than using the magic directly, but it gives me a better control over my range and what I hit.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Karen found it interesting. Enchantment Magic was more known for being Support Magic, so not a lot of people took it up. In Blue Pegasus, there was one of them. It wasn't magic you would take up without a partner.</p>
<p>Magic Enchantments required natural magic, or strong foes to nab magic off of, and it was also a significantly weaker alternative, so it was counterproductive and deemed unfit for acquiring in popular opinion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eir was confident. Well maybe he was also a total bishie but that’s besides the point-- surely, he was so proud because he was strong, right? Then why was he using such tame magic? He should use something cool...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eir stopped walking, and Karen crashed right into his back, the head of her cap jutting right into his shoulder blade when she made a soft yelp in surprise.</p>
<p>“Wha…”</p>
<p>“Shh,” Eir’s eyes sharpened. “Stay here. Don’t make any noise.”</p>
<p>“But--” <em>I’m a mage too! Are there enemies ahead?</em> She may be young, but her spirits are useful for things outside of battles, too...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eir gave her a little smile, patting her on the head. “You promised, Karen. Be a good girl, okay?”</p>
<p>She flushed red. She’s being treated like a kid!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(But somehow, that isn’t so bad…)</p>
<p>(Eir’s kind of like a big brother…?)</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Karen barely had time to really understand the next moment, but Eir hopped onto a branch, continued climbing, then just… disappeared.</p>
<p>Why-- <em>how</em> is he so good at climbing trees? That was fast.</p>
<p>So she sat down on a protruding root, and like a good girl, she waited.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Found them,” he said to himself.</p>
<p>Something like three hundred meters ahead. A small group of punks, all in awfully gaudy clothing. Seriously, if you’re going to hide in a forest maybe you shouldn’t wear sports jerseys and bright jackets?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Uh, two, four, ten? Twenty. Yikes,” he hissed, “that’s way more than my job description. Master better have some good compensation for this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They were disheveled, hard of breath, and looked to be in a panic. Typical low-class Dark Guild members in a disarray after failed trouble. Maybe he should wait till they go home and see where their base is?</p>
<p>(But then again, Eir doesn’t have the capability to take down one whole Dark Guild by himself. His job was for Brutis, his minions were an afterthought.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He dropped to the ground, beside a startled Karen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There are a lot more enemies than I thought-- you got any spirits useful for rounding up some mob characters?”</p>
<p>“Huh? Uh-- yeah…”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess  it's not that convenient-- wait, you do?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<b><em>Open, Gate of the Dividing Compass! I summon thee-- Circini</em></b><em><b>!</b></em>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The spirit was a strange one. You know the compass-- not the direction one, the one you use to draw circles or plot triangles for geometry class or something? Yeah. Imagine a huge one, one about the size of a human.</p>
<p>There was a little, cherub-like creature sitting at the pivot. A little baby with glowing yellow hair, wearing a toga and everything. But without wings.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Very cute. He looks like an asshole.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nice to meet you,” Eir managed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The infant only nodded. Not a talker, huh. That’s fine. In anime, these things usually start talking like dirty old geezers or something. He’d rather be spared from the agony.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Circini can draw circles!” Karen said proudly.</p>
<p>Eir paused at that.</p>
<p>“So basically you’re useless?” he told the infant, who looked positively offended.</p>
<p>“It-- It can keep anything within its circle contained!” Karen stuttered out, face flushing slightly, embarrassed, “like, a temporary barrier or shield, or cage…”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Eir turned to the infant who looked like it was about to blow up in frustration. It still sounded meager, but well, magic, right? It’s a silver key, after all-- they’re not usually battle-oriented, “guess you were useful, then. My bad.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The infant huffed, crossed its arms, and looked away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But it uh,” Karen spoke up again, gazing sideways this time. She played with her fingers nervously, “only lasts about five seconds.”</p>
<p>Eir hummed, “so you <em>are</em> useless.”</p>
<p>Eir got whacked on the head by a gigantic dividing compass.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He can make a huge circle,” Karen gestured with her hand stretched out all fingers, then closed it in a fist, “and then shrink the space, pulling everything inside it to the centre.”</p>
<p>“Including the trees?”</p>
<p>“Ah, no no, just humans and animals.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Perfect,” Eir drew his sword, setting down his coat in Karen’s hands. “Circini, they’re three hundred meters ahead. Wrap me in with as many of those mongrels as you can.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Circini’s eyes glinted with the light of revenge, hands moving to the compass already.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wait!” Karen cut in sharply, “you want Circini to send all of them at you at once?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Eir and Circini looked inquisitively at Karen, unable to figure why the girl had a problem with it.</p>
<p>“It--” Karen fumbled, “it’s reckless!”</p>
<p>“Ah, don’t worry-- those guys are pretty small fry. I can handle it,” Eir assured her.</p>
<p>“That’s not the problem-- wait!!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With a golden magic circle, a ring of light, and a yelp, he shot off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Imagine being a member of a Dark Guild.</p>
<p>Imagine just chilling in the corner of a forest after a bad run off with a mad baby mage. Everyone’s exhausted, you failed your mission, you’ve got burns here and there.</p>
<p>Then out of nowhere, a light shines behind you, socks you right in the gut, and everyone gets wrung in like a whip into the air.</p>
<p>Terrible day, really.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<b><em>Enchant Wind</em></b>:” came a voice, “<b><em>Gale Burst</em></b>.”</p>
<p>This day really couldn’t get any worse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The boy, <em>who's only a teenager</em>, rolled across the ground to cushion his fall after unleashing his rally of wind. He spun around and maneuvered back onto his feet.</p>
<p>It really said something when hair and clothes fell off from the crowd, with everyone without injury but far too freaked out to try. One guy mourned his magnificent pompadour and just fainted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then he turned to the handful of people who were spared from the assault, stopping when he spotted the target.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Brutis? Brycen? I forgot your name,” he sheathed his sword and faced the man, “I don’t really care for everyone else, so if you could come with me to the police box to retrieve your bounty…”</p>
<p>“You're mad!” Brutis squawked, “what’s this kid? He just flew the heck in alone? Are you crazy? We’re thirty six people! You’re seriously taking us alone?! You’re as insane as that green-haired bitch--”</p>
<p>“<b><em>Gale Burst</em></b>.”</p>
<p>A rupture of wind spiraled from his feet-- and Eir sent it shooting into the sky.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A moment later, a rain of branches and broken wood pelted from the heavens, filling the ground an inch high with leaves, fruits, a poor squirrel, and huge lumber. The previously shady area now filled with a generous amount of sunlight.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brutis’ necklace fell off, the string cut, and he let out a startled shriek.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oops,” Eir gave him a smile, pulling his sword out of the sheath again, “I forgot to cast the Enchant. Let me try that again...”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright! Alright, I’m sorry! Please forgive me! <em>Please</em> take me to the police!”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. shifting bonds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir walks Karen home, and Eir is reminded again of where he lived now.</p><p>They talk.</p><p>And something changes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m fine--”</p><p>“No, I’m walking you home.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It’s dark out. The Rune Knights had something to say about Karen’s indiscriminate lightning attack (10 burned, 13 traumatized, 5 sobbing children, the reports finalized to say,) and so it was nearly eight in the <em>sky is fucking dark</em> by the time they were released and Eir got his pay.</p><p>Absolutely ridiculous.</p><p> </p><p>Eir treated Karen to a heartful meal to make up for the horrid day they both had. Then it was really way too late for her to really be making an effort to return to her guild, so Eir did the logical thing and offered to walk her home.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh… I’m sorry,” Karen said, looking away.</p><p>“What are you apologizing for?” Eir managed something to say.</p><p>“Well, you uh, look really angry.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy breath, brows furrowing. When he opened his eyes again, the world swirled. He stilled, riding out the dizziness.</p><p>“It’s nothing,” he said. “Just… forgot my meds.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“No… is this the right way?” Eir turned the topic quickly, “do you stay in your guild, Karen?”</p><p>“Uhn!” Karen held his hand as they began walking again, letting him push branches aside to clear the route for them, “Master Bob is kinda weird, but everyone’s nice. There aren’t a lot of girls, and they’re all older, so I stay with them in the Guild Dorms.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hehh,” Eir lifted Karen up when she stumbled over a tree root, then set her back on her feet. “Why did you become a mage, Karen?”</p><p>“Because it’s cool!”</p><p>“Hehh, well… I suppose it’s pretty fun, with all those spirits you have.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“You could brush Aquila’s feathers-- can he take you on flights? Have you ever tried playing tag with Circini?” Eir sounded mildly excited.</p><p> </p><p>At that, Karen looked away, a little conflicted, “oh-- uh, we don’t really… have that kind of… thing. I mean… I’m just their contracted Master.”</p><p>“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind playing with you if you ask,” Eir assured her.</p><p>“Eh?” Karen actually gaped, “but-- but, they’re… spirits.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p> </p><p>And that made Karen stop in her tracks. Eir paused, looking at the girl curiously. His eyes narrowed, sensing something off with her reaction.</p><p> </p><p>“It’ll…” she started when she managed to get her will to speak, but she never looked up from the ground. “It’ll be like I’m playing with dolls. It’s meaningless-- I mean, spirits don’t die.. They’re just... summoned for battle.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir tightened his fist.</p><p>It was moments like these that made him remember that he was in a world of magic now. Talking animals, furniture with personality, and spirits in the wind-- all these meant different things here. Even if something spoke, they weren’t human and that drew an invisible line to everything.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe that was social norm in this world.</p><p>Maybe that <em>was</em> the social norm, but Eir wasn’t going to conform.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Circini got angry at me when I teased him,” he crouched down before the girl, “and when Aquila messed up this morning, he laughed like a clumsy little airhead. Right?”</p><p>“Huh? Uh… yeah. I guess they did.”</p><p>“Spirits may not be human… but they have <em>feelings</em>,” Eir told her, “like you and me. They become upset, they get offended, and when they’re punched, they still feel pain.”</p><p>“Just like me?”</p><p>“Just like us both.”</p><p> </p><p>Karen nodded.</p><p>Eir put a hand at his sword. “In a battle, your magic is not just your weapon-- it’s your partner, and your friend. It’s someone you can always rely on, and can trust to protect you no matter what.”</p><p>“But,” Karen spoke up again, “it’s… Circini and Aquila have never tried speaking to me before. They understand human speech, but it… it doesn’t go both ways.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t need words. Circini didn’t say a single word, but we worked together perfectly this morning, remember? without him, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the job as quickly as I did,” Eir gestured at Karen’s keys, “you weren’t commanding him-- he worked in his own will, even though you were his master.”</p><p> </p><p>That made Karen stop. Speaking of that… Circini had acted even when Karen told him to stop. “But why would he do that?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir responded easily, “when he all but whipped me across the terrain-- he was telling me, <b>I’ll show you I’m not useless! Why don’t </b><b><em>you</em></b><b> go in there and show me what </b><b><em>you</em></b><b> can do?</b>” he let out a laugh. “He’s quite a prideful spirit, that one.”</p><p>“You <em>understood </em>him?” Karen was flabbergasted. It just didn’t sound <em>possible</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“You see, if we treat them like friends, like partners in battle, they will respond just like humans,” Eir set a hand at his chest, gesturing at his heart, then at hers. “Even if we’re slightly different in mortality and appearance, if we care for them and try to understand them, they will definitely return your feelings.”</p><p>Karen stood still, a little stunned.</p><p> </p><p>“Isn’t it amazing to always have comrades you can trust in a battle?” Eir gave her a smile.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>After that, Karen started crying.</p><p>Like, fully, baby wailing at the top of her lungs.</p><p> </p><p>Eir stared at her for a full, shocked second, before dissolving into a panicked mess. “Was it something I said??” he freaked out, “uh, I’m sorry--”</p><p> </p><p>Even in his past, the oldest of his kids, a girl only a handful of years younger, took on the soothing-babies role more than he himself did. He could handle fussy crying, but this time, he legitimately didn’t understand why Karen was crying. Logically, he panicked.</p><p> </p><p>So when he walked into Blue Pegasus, Karen in his arms still sniffling into his shoulder, he honestly thought he was going to get murdered right there. If not by Master Bob, probably by the older ladies who looked like they were about to castrate him where he stood.</p><p>Thankfully, after a civilised conversation and a lot of sweets for Karen later, they sorted out the misunderstanding. After a round of proper introductions, they managed to contact Master Makarov through a Communications Lacrima.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s such a dear, Makarov. Are you sure I can’t keep him?”</p><p>“<b><em>No</em></b>,” Makarov hissed from the other end of the crystal, “<b><em>get your own pretty boys.</em></b>”</p><p>“Hmm, we already have Ichiya, but I'm sure we can find more!” Master Bob cooed, gesturing at the rather handsome, orange-haired playboy in the corner. “Eir would fit right in!”</p><p>“<b><em>I told you I’m not giving him to you!</em></b>”</p><p>“Ehhh,” Master Bob faked a despaired whine, “but look how much all the girls already adore him. Ah, Ichiya, would you be a dear and lead Eir to the Men’s dorms? He’ll be staying the night.</p><p>“<b><em>No! I changed my mind! Eir, you’re not safe there, come ba</em></b>--”</p><p>And bzzt! The Lacrima’s connection disconnected, and Master Bob beamed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir breathed out heavily, a relieved sigh escaping from his shoulders.</p><p>His head throbbed, and he set a hand at his temple to massage circles on it. It felt like a heat was in his brain, a hot coal clunking around with each movement. He was glad he didn’t have to make the trip back to Magnolia in this state.</p><p>(If he knew this mission would take so long, he’d have gone to get another batch of cookies first…)</p><p> </p><p>Eir found himself before Ichiya, and he vaguely remembered that name-- some short, chubby older man who was totally only there for comic relief.</p><p>So what is this slim, tall, handsome, spiky-haired bishie radiating glamour and fabulousness? <em>Ugh, his cologne is strong when he’s close</em>. Was he that ugly in the show because he was older? Wow age is a terrifying thing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No, no,” Ichiya waved a finger at him, “it’s my <em>parfum</em>. And young Eir, you certainly have a splendid <em>parfum</em> yourself. The smell of home and.. ah, butter. The smell of warmth and care… oh, <b><em>Men</em></b><em>!”</em></p><p>“Nice to meet you, Mister Ichiya,” Eir responded with a straight face, everything in him not willing to <em>begin</em> with the retorts for this bizzare man, “please don’t smell me.”</p><p>“Of course, young Eir. Now, shall we make our way to the living quarters?”</p><p> </p><p>Exhausted from his long day and nauseated from the ever-present migraine, Eir allowed himself to be led into the back of the guild.</p><p>After a long bath, a fresh change of clothes (there’s a Vandalay clothing line?) and a comfortable bed, Eir sank into the covers and just conked out right there.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone else was older than him, and they led him around from one place to another in his sleepy haze, making sure his hair was dried after the shower and making sure his clothes would be dry by morning so he could wear them as he travelled back. He felt someone tuck him into the blankets, and the lights dimmed.</p><p>This wasn’t home, but it was definitely warm and full of care.</p><p> </p><p>It was strange to be treated like a child for once, but it was a nice feeling.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. escorted home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir tries to go home the next day.</p><p>He does make it in the end, but he leaves quite a few ripples behind.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Do you <em>have </em>to go?” Karen whined, clinging to his coat, “stay here! Become a mage in Blue Pegasus!”</p><p>“No, Karen, I can’t do that--”</p><p> </p><p>Eir was troubled, but he guessed this was a normal thing with children. He’s glad that, even in this world, children could act spoiled and adorable like this.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was a little early in the morning-- the sun was just beginning to warm up the world from the cold dawn.</p><p>“Are you sure you're alright? You have a slight fever.”</p><p>Eir flushed slightly when the older girl set a palm on his forehead.</p><p> </p><p>Why was everyone in Blue Pegasus so beautiful? The ladies were gorgeous, the men were handsome, and even the teenagers were on the path of elegance and fashion.</p><p>(Oh wait. <em>I’m</em> a teenager.)</p><p> </p><p>The Pretty-People guild, Yeah, he’ll call it that.</p><p>“I’m fine…” he stepped away, dismissing their concerns.</p><p> </p><p>His body heated up, his head didn’t feel any less heavy than yesterday, and his fingers were cold-- but this was exactly why he needed to get back as quickly as he could.</p><p>He bowed, “thanks so much for your hospitality.”</p><p> </p><p>Against the worried eyes of the Blue Pegasus guild members, Eir excused himself, and set off on the route back toward Magnolia.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>He made it across the mountain before he got caught up in a magic battle, nearly got decapitated, and was forced by the Mages involved to sit down and rest.</p><p> </p><p>“The heck were you doing travelling with that kinda fever? You wanna die? Huh?!”</p><p>“Toby, shush.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Splashing some water from the river onto his face, Eir let out a sigh of exhaustion. The sun was high in the sky-- was it noon, now?</p><p> </p><p>The group of three were around his age, though the tallest one, with a smooth bald head, looked about Reedus’ age. The other two called him Jura.</p><p>They had been hunting magical beasts when Eir came in the way and nearly got himself caught up in some rather sharp rocks. Thankfully, Eir’s reflexes prevented a lethal injury, but once they investigated the cause, they didn’t let him leave.</p><p> </p><p>He felt a hand on his forehead.</p><p> </p><p>“Shirotsume is nearby. You should go to a clinic there,” Jura said, gesturing in the opposite direction, “it wouldn’t do to risk your health any further.”</p><p>“Ah, no--” Eir quickly refused, “I’m in a rush. What I have isn’t… something a clinic can deal with, so I’ll need to head back to Magnolia first…”</p><p>“Magnolia? That’s another three hours away by foot,” the blue-haired one spoke up, a little taken aback, “you’re not going to make it in your state.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s long!” the one with dog ears exclaimed.</p><p>“Why are <em>you</em> getting angry?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir let out a dry laugh. Looking back into the stream, “once I get to Kunugi, I’ll get on the railway and I’ll be there in half the time. My guildmates will be worried if I don’t make it home by evening.”</p><p> </p><p>The oldest of them scrunched up his brows, evidently frowning.</p><p>“Yuka and Toby, you two go on ahead and collect the reward,” he said, “I am still worried, so I’ll accompany this boy on the rest of his journey.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eh?” Eir stood, stunned.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, since Jura said so, we’ll have to obey,” Yuka muttered, sounding irritated but his body moving to retrieve the dog-boy from his yelping on the other end, “let’s go, Toby.”</p><p>“Because Jura said so?!”</p><p>“You’re getting angry at the wrong thing, Toby.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And that’s how Eir found himself with a babysitter. They waved Yuka and Toby away as they headed to the nearest town to report their catch. They agreed on meeting Jura back in the guild in the evening to divide their spoils, and then went on their way.</p><p>This time, when they started walking, Jura carried Eir’s belongings and made sure to let the younger boy lead the route. They made their way at Eir’s pace, and paused for breaks as often as he needed.</p><p> </p><p>“So you’re from Fairy Tail? We’re from Lamia Scale.”</p><p>Jura was a nice, very gentle giant once you got to know him. It’s strange to find sixteen-year old wearing a kimono, much less in the forest, but Jura somehow made it his image.</p><p>“Lamia… it’s down southwest from Magnolia, right?” Eir murmured to himself, “it’s so close. And if I recall, you guys are a pretty strong guild too…”</p><p>“Humble words,” Jura turned away, “Fairy Tail is rising up the ranks to be number one in Fiore. Lamia Scale is still nothing in your shadow.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir set a hand at his guild mark. Well, the guild <em>was</em> the show’s namesake. By the time the story rolls around, it would most probably become the strongest this world had to offer.</p><p>But Jura-- Jura was strong, Just standing beside him, Eir could feel the overwhelming magic power this man had to hold. And unlike his own, this man had it all tamed and controlled. Maybe the key to it was how firm, how strong he stood.</p><p>Humble? Jura was the <em>embodiment</em> of the word.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not true,” Eir told him, “Lamia Scale is second only to Fairy Tail. So when the fairies are in a pinch, we’d have to turn to the lamias, right?”</p><p>They’ve only known each other for about an hour, but Jura already likes this kid.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“It’s normal for you?” Jura was flabbergasted to hear.</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p> </p><p>Eir had barely managed to make it to the town, and by then Jura had to carry him the rest of the way onto the train.</p><p> </p><p>“Before Master brought me to our magic doctor, this would just come in… well, waves,” Eir made a vague gesture, “I was born with a bit too much magic, and apparently it isn’t flowing in the right direction? So yeah. It kinda… misbehaves.”</p><p>“And you get fevers?”</p><p>“I get <em>anything</em>,” he all but groans, “it’s bearable most of the time. People just overreact--”</p><p>“Taking care of yourself is <em>not </em>an overreaction!” Jura hissed at him, catching the attention of about half the train around them.</p><p> </p><p>Eir flinched, arms up defensively in an old instinct.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh uh-- sorry, just… I’m used to it,” he tried, lamely, unable to look in that direction. “There’s not much Porlyusica can do about the symptoms, but the medicine helps. Lowers my magic amount and improves the flow, that kinda thing. There’s no permanent cure, so there’s no sense in worrying about it...”</p><p>Jura stopped him there.</p><p>“I’ve changed my mind,” he crossed his arms, “I am walking you to your guild.”</p><p>“Wait, what?”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>In hindsight, the Wheel of Fortune Card probably didn’t point to love or a fateful counterpart of any sort. There was a slightly different meaning to it that people tended to mislook-- it usually called for <b><em>a change in fate</em></b>.</p><p> </p><p>Jura marched into the guild, only to find Master Bob talking to Master Makarov in a Lacrima Crystal regarding the very child he was holding.</p><p>They then had a nice, long talk about a certain selfless little white-haired idiot. It was the closest the three guilds have ever come to communication in a long time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Let’s just say this incident with Eir did wonders in improving relationships between guilds, even though he wasn’t particularly trying to.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. guild shenanigans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir officially becomes something like a link between guild relationships.</p><p>It's an... experience... I guess.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It all started with a forgotten sack of Forbidden Cookies.</p><p>Porlyusica went to the trouble of delivering it to Fairy Tail, only to find that her favourite kid wasn’t there. He was out for a mission and it was going to take a while.</p><p> </p><p>Laxus had made it home early, and heck, he was about to run the whole way across Magnolia to Shirotsume if it meant Eir got the Forbidden Cookies and scary demon hag would get out of the guild. But no, Master said no.</p><p>Laxus was allowed on jobs anywhere up and down the railway, but Shirotsume was a far distance for him to go without a guide.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Then Cana came back, Eir wasn’t back yet, and then she saw the Porlyusica and started crying.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Long story short, <em>no one</em> in the guild knew what to do with a crying girl, Porlyusica was very, very annoyed, and Eir was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>Macao and Wakaba had to take a moment to really understand how important Eir was to the guild. Without him around, it’s just madness.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You want me to become a <em>what</em>?”</p><p>“An ambassador.”</p><p>“And uh, what does that mean?”</p><p>“It means we’ll occasionally be lending you out to other guilds to promote teamwork and good relations between guilds in Fiore.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir needed a moment.</p><p> </p><p>First he gets fussed over a fever of all things, then he gets banned from work for two days, and now he hears he’s being passed around like the latest trend among guilds?</p><p>Instead, he just sighed and asked, “why?”</p><p>“You’re asking <em>me</em>,” Makarov groaned, looking like Eir was the cause of all this-- he wasn’t, he swore.</p><p> </p><p>Some shitty hand at fate must have had to do with this. What other situation would he ever chance upon members of two guilds in a single day because of a series of bad luck?</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Eir realized, a hand at his face, “the fortune.”</p><p>The Wheel of Fortune-- the card that divined a pivot on the roads of fate. Leave it to Cana to really, terribly, warn Eir in advance about this. Heck, how accurate <em>are</em> her fortunes? She should start charging for those.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Makarov sighed at that. “It’s a good opportunity. Even now, we only have the council meetings to really bond the guilds together, and that doesn’t do much good because the council works on orders and rules. If you act as an ambassador, we promote more interaction without needing to be facing a crisis of some sort.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir chewed on his inner lip. It sounded like a pain in the ass.</p><p>“So basically I have to go buddy buddy with the other guilds every once in a while?” he asked.</p><p>“Well,” Makarov crossed his arms, “you could go over and take care of their kids.”</p><p>“So I’m just a babysitter?!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Laxus was leaning over his shoulder and Cana’s head was in his lap. Eir slumped against the tree, unable to move. It’d be a crime to wake them up.</p><p> </p><p>He tugged his coat over Cana’s shoulders and set a hand in her hair, running a finger through deep brown locks. She murmured something sleepily and curled in tighter.</p><p>Laxus was on his other side, half his fingers curled into Eir’s, his body taking up the whole of the older boy’s arm as if he was claiming possession of it. Eir gave his hand a squeeze and Laxus’s fingers closed over in instinct.</p><p> </p><p>This is bad. He’s spoiling them. They’re acting like babies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But this was fine, he guessed. Peace, quiet, and full of warmth. It was something there wasn’t much of in his past life, when he and his siblings ran themselves ragged just trying to afford a life. There were donations, there were kind neighbours, but it was never quite enough for a restful sleep.</p><p>Maybe this <em>was</em> a blessing, this life. A life of peace, of love, and of family.</p><p>And just maybe, he’s allowed to enjoy this.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A few years down the road, Eir would find this scene as a picture in Reedus’ books. All three sleeping soundly, a picturesque image. He would then yell really hard at Reedus about it, chasing him across the guild with his face flushed bright red.</p><p>A few days after that, Eir would hang it up in his room.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You’re quite proficient with a staff.”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m better with a staff than a sword.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir spun the wooden pole around his arm, from his front, to his left, around his back and then swung it to the front. Then he straightened, plucking it to the left and planting it on the ground upright.</p><p> </p><p>“Had training for it?”</p><p>“Something like that.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In a world of mages, weapon users were quite rare. After all, why use a weapon if you can just blow the useless lump of steel away or defend without one?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In his past life, Eir joined clubs.</p><p>He never really wanted to, but there was always a friend that wanted him to try things out. The Wushu club was versatile. He only learned part of the spear’s routines there, but the swords practiced beside them, so he knew those movements too.</p><p>He hadn’t learned enough to be useful in a proper battle, though. He dropped out of the club after a year to work, and then quit school entirely a few months after that. However, paired with wind magic, there really wasn’t much he needed to polish.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Ready?” the Lamia Scale mage before him asked.</p><p>“Anytime,” Eir said, poised with his staff before him.</p><p> </p><p>A moment. Twice.</p><p> </p><p>The man tensed his fingers, and swung his arm toward the sea. A magic circle glowed on the surface of the water. With effort he raised it, bringing with him a burst of aquatic magic.</p><p>“<b><em>Water Bullet</em></b><em>!”</em> he yelled. Posing his other arm forward, the water spout sharpened-- then shot straight at the boy.</p><p> </p><p>Eir didn’t faze. Knocking the pole against the ground and hooking it over his foot, he kicked it swirling into the air, forming a spinning shield before him. He raised a hand in its direction, a silver magic circle sprouting from his hand-- “<b><em>Enchant Wind: Rotor</em></b><em>!”</em></p><p>The wind spiralled across the harbor, and Eir’s clothes rattled strong against the gust. The water bullets were blown right out into particles, bits splashing harmlessly on Eir’s face and the magic splendidly repelled.</p><p> </p><p>His opponent was blown right off his feet and, with a shriek of sorts, <em>soared</em> off the ground for a horrifying two seconds before falling flat on his face.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Snatching the staff back out of the air, Eir spun it twice before setting it across his opponent’s back, so he wouldn’t be able to get up easily. Not that the man seemed to want to.</p><p>“I’m gonna cry!” said man just wailed, plucking his head off the ground to show the devastating red mark on his forehead, “go easy on me, would you?”</p><p> </p><p>This week with Lamia Scale, they were having a sparring session with Eir. It was a free-for-all tournament, first to hit the ground loses, all in good fun.</p><p>The crowd laughed at them.</p><p> </p><p>“If I wasn’t going easy on you, I would have used my sword,” Eir told him.</p><p>“I thought you said you were better with the staff?” he said, confused.</p><p>“A staff is used for self-defense. A sword is used for offense. Battle styles with these weapons differ-- of course one’s gonna hit harder.” Eir straightened, then turned back toward the crowd, “I'm tired. Someone take my place. I’m gonna sleep.”</p><p>“Out of nowhere?!”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s fine, you had like, three wins in a row!”</p><p>“Yuka, want to go next?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir found himself a seat beside Jura on a bench, and right away someone handed him a cold drink. Breathing out, exhausted, he breathed out in relief.</p><p>“How are you liking Lamia Scale?” Jura asked him.</p><p>Eir frowned. “You guys are <em>tenacious</em>,” he hissed, “Fairy Tail has stubborn types that are strong individually or in teams-- but here, everyone makes up for what they don’t have with wits and new tactics. Everyone learns from everyone’s fights. I’m running out of skills to hide because all of you make me use something new each turn.”</p><p> </p><p>Jura hummed at that. “As expected, you’re sharp.”</p><p>“Oh, so it <em>is</em> on purpose?” Eir raised a brow. “Underhanded, all of you. Ganging up on me like this, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>Jura laughed.</p><p>“It’s standard Lamia Scale strategy! Wear him down from different angles each time-- until he’s out of options and his heel is in plain sight,” Jura explained, curling his fist in a sign of entrapment, “like a Lamia, we corner a prey, draw them in-- and strike them from the back once they’ve exposed all their weaknesses to us.”</p><p>Eir shivered at the gruesome imagery.</p><p>“You guys are scary.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Lamia Scale tended to hold a competition of some sort-- sparring sessions, rock-paper-scissors, treasure hunts, or arm wrestling competitions. They were plenty eager to be competitive, and since they have Eir for the night, they often have pillow fights or sauna endurance contests too.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In a very strange contrast, Blue Pegasus is very… modest.</p><p>“Hold that pose, darling. No, lift your chin a little, yes, that’s it.”</p><p> </p><p>A hand brushing back his bangs, Eir drifted his gaze a little to the side. A camera flash. And another, from a different angle.</p><p>And the next pose. Folding his arms, he lowered his face into his scarf, letting his line of sight fall downwards, right into the camera.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He waited for Ichiya to finally say “aaand CUT!” before he loosened his limbs, fell to the ground, and spent a devastating moment grasping at what's left of his dignity.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“This will be a bestselling issue of the Vandalay fashion magazine. I just <em>know</em> it,” the manager glamoured at the photos, and Ichiya was sobbing with joy in the corner. “That’s it! Let’s have him take the cover with Karen! The crowd will go <em>nuts. </em>Issues would <em>fly</em> off the shelves!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir wasn’t anything special back in his past life, so he had no experience with this modelling thing- but apparently, they just wanted his moody expression? They were fine with a resting bitch face? He didn’t understand.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In his past life, his younger sister… he had a lot of them, but the twins in particular were a pair of very adorable girls. They were scouted one day and instantly hit the charts. A big part of their livelihoods went to the profits those two could make without revealing their real names.</p><p>Eir was a little ashamed that he had to resort to those girls’ modelling practice sessions as reference for this situation. He was a man, dammit! More like, why is he even doing this?</p><p> </p><p>"Are you listening, Eir? Sorcerer would be <em>raving</em> for you!"</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Blue Pegasus had so far asked him to model for their magazines, to help out at the cafe bar that was their guild hall (this isn’t a host club? Are you sure, Master Bob? I feel like I’m in a host club with all the flirting going on here--) and mostly to be the girls’ plaything.</p><p>If Lamia Scale appreciated Eir’s battle prowess, Blue Pegasus adored Eir’s looks and everything else except fighting.</p><p> </p><p>Really went to show how diverse these guilds were… and as the ambassador, Eir spent every alternate weekend with one of these guilds, spending every other day back home in Fairy Tail.</p><p> </p><p>It was a strange turn of events, but it wasn’t a bad one, in the long term.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. it's a fairy thing.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What do you want, Cana, it’s 3AM.”</p><p>“I demand head pats.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir rolled over and counted to ten in his head. No, he cannot slap a child for acting like an obnoxious little shit. No, he cannot scream into oblivion at 3AM.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>So he set a hand on Cana’s head. It’s more like he’s using it as an armrest, rather than patting her head-- but she seemed to be satisfied with that much. She brimmed with a wide smile, adorably content.</p><p> </p><p>In another moment, Cana was on the bed, she’s too old for this, but Eir was too sleepy to bother with it, so they just curled in together and slept under day broke.</p><p>And somehow, when he woke up, Laxus was on his other side.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>The year is X774, and Eir is fifteen.</em>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>
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</p><p>“Look, we need to have a serious conversation about you breaking and entering my house all the time.”</p><p>Eir sat on the bed, the children on their knees on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“But you have a nice house…” Laxus whined, “and your bed is nice.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then get your own. I taught you how to use the city bank,” Eir told him sharply, arms folded, “you should have enough for a decent, rented house by now.”</p><p>“But yours is nicer,” Laxus insisted. Eir groaned.</p><p> </p><p>Eir turned to Cana.</p><p>“Cana, you’re getting older now,” Eir reminded her, “you’re a girl. You should try and be more cautious around us guys.”</p><p> </p><p>And Cana stared back, blankly. “Cautious around you two? Why?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir buried his face in his palm, and for a moment, he just wanted to cry in defeat. He doesn’t even know why.</p><p>“How do you guys even come in, anyways? I lock the windows. And the door,” Eir pointed at the particular furniture, “and I even blocked out the fireplace in case you tried, which you did like two months ago.”</p><p> </p><p>Cana and Laxus beamed, but didn’t give an answer.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m raising terrorists,” Eir mourned.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No, Eir, the terrorist here is you.”</p><p>“Et tu, Master?!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You’ve got to be<em> fucking </em>kidding me,” Eir spat.</p><p> </p><p>The two men before him were on their knees, a big bump on their heads. It was kind of funny, to see two grown, very old men prostrating before a teenager.</p><p> </p><p>“One of you employed a wizard to retrieve a vase, and the other commissioned a wizard to retrieve a precious stone, <em>which you did not mention was embedded in that very vase</em>,” Eir explained the situation, “and neither of you had the fucking sense to, you know, have a civilised conversation instead?”</p><p> </p><p>They looked away in shame.</p><p> </p><p>“And of course, the owner of the vase, that stole it from you two, does not want to give me the vase…” Eir summed the situation up, then lifted his gaze to the sky and had to seriously count to ten so he could calm down.</p><p>He wanted to smack them across the face. How did a simple retrieval job turn into a break-in-and-steal mission? Thank fuck he took both of them by coincidence.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” he stood up. “I’ll be right back.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The two clients looked at him, confused, “uhm, where are you going… sir?”</p><p>Eir gave them a look. “You guys want the vase, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh… yeah?” they were bewildered, “but it’s in a high-security building, under protection of the Dark Guild, Dark Unicorn!”</p><p>Eir raised an eyebrow, “so?”</p><p> </p><p>He began walking, calmly making his way to the tall mansion in the distance. It was broad daylight, so the whole gang that lined the mansion’s borders caught a lot of attention.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Why the heck is their guild’s dress code (why on earth are there guild-assigned dress codes) a school uniform? Complete with dark blue blazers and coloured ties, what are they, a high-school roleplay? A bunch of college dropouts? NEETs?</p><p>He wanted to take that kid’s horn-shaped hair and just bend it in half.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The two clients chased after him, “that’s reckless!” they called after him, “you can’t take them all alone, boy! Please call for backup of some sort!”</p><p>And Eir promptly ignored them.</p><p> </p><p>He stopped in front of the mansion, and an enraged <em>Dark Unicorn</em> member stood before him, staff in hand. “You shall not pass!” he declared.</p><p> </p><p>Eir stared at him with a ‘seriously?’ expression. A staff? Against<em> me</em>?</p><p>“You dark guilds need to learn to get out of the way,” Eir muttered, “my meds aren’t working right today so I’ve got a headache, I’m in a really bad mood, I just wanna go home, my clients just told me they double-booked me…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>With each word, his anger boiled within him, churning like a hot stone, his hair rising from the sheer concentration of magic power that was gurgling, boiling, waiting to burst forth.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing? Get away from there!”</p><p>“What’s this-- Magic power?! He’s doing something, guys!”</p><p>“Stop him!”</p><p> </p><p>He held his hand up in a finger gun, pointed at the near top middle of the building.</p><p>“<b><em>Wind Bullet!</em></b>”</p><p> </p><p>A silver magic circle sprouted from his fingertip, followed by a smaller blue one, then another, even smaller green one.</p><p>Then a ripping tornado ruptured from the space, a turbulent, spiraling force shooting like a laser from the gods, seaming a large, beaming hole right through the building, sending splinters and broken wood soaring into the heavens.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There's pained silence as the entire town gawked at the destruction.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But Eir wasn’t done. He held both hands before him in a strained fist, glowering at the Dark Unicorn members. All of them flinched, some huddling together.</p><p>“If you guys don’t give me the vase <em>right now</em>,” he hissed, “I swear I’ll chuck your bloody ass three towns across and then feed you to the goddamn Vulcans!”</p><p>Yeah, that job ended pretty quickly after that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You destroyed Earl Tabitha’s mansion?!” Master squawked in horror, “EIR!”</p><p> </p><p>He looked a minute away from fainting. Eir stood before him, arms crossed and looking positively annoyed. Laxus, Macao, and Wakaba were laughing their asses off in the corner. Eir was going to punch them later for that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“It wasn’t on purpose,” he insisted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Does that matter?!” Master sobbed into the table, an aura of utter despair clouding over him. “The bills! The council! The Knights! You’re ruining me, Eir!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>What an exaggeration. But yeah, thanks for paying for the repairs, Master, love you. You have surplus cash anyways, being a Ten Wizard Saint. Can I go now?</em>
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</p><p>“It’s just a stupid mansion,” Eir muttered under his breath, absolutely not apologetic, “and he stole the vase anyways. I was just taking back what didn’t belong to him and his mansion was <em>kind of in the way</em> and so--”</p><p>“It’s not <em>just </em>a mansion,” Master gestured vaguely, but very strongly, “you destroyed a shopping district in Crocus last week! And a church in Shirotsume! Then you blew up the confession box in Kardia Cathedral and caused an earthquake in Lupinus!”</p><p>Eir snapped, “those weren’t my fault!” Then, a little quieter, “there was this… punk that shoved a kid… then there was that moron that knocked over ice cream… and a bunch of bullies… and a mother who left her child unsupervised…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Destruction is not the answer!”</p><p>“The buildings were in the way! If they didn’t want to get destroyed maybe they should’ve <em>dodged</em> or something!”</p><p>“Are you even listening to yourself?!”</p><p>“No one was hurt, right?! Except bad guys. I made sure the kids were safe and out of the way before wrecking a building.”</p><p>“That’s not the problem-- wait, you just admitted to breaking things on purpose!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Indeed, Eir is definitely a member of Fairy Tail. </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. ice road.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Eir, Master Bob sent a letter. And Lamia sent us next week’s battle chart, in case you have any opinions on the tournament,” Enno reported to the boy, setting down her tray and handing her a letter from behind the bar counter. “You might want to go check out Mermaid Heel sometime soon. They’re interested in your services.”</p><p> </p><p>“My services,” Eir accepted the letter with a tired look. Rhetorically, he asked himself, “what exactly are my services anyways? Heck if I know.”</p><p>Enno laughed, but didn’t add on nor deny. Ow.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe next week,” Eir decided, “I’m planning on working this week.”</p><p>“Going to take a stack in vaguely the same direction and run off again?” Enno teased, “great timing, because there’s about three jobs on the board that have locations en route to Crocus. You want those?”</p><p>“I’d rather not… last time I was in that area, I kind of destroyed a row of buildings, so I’m on the red list for a lot of shops,” he muttered. “Could I have an iced coffee, Miss Enno?” Eir said, getting off the chair and heading toward the mission board.</p><p>“Black and burnt or full of cream?”</p><p>“Depends on how close Cana is to my drink.”</p><p>“Full of cream then, since Cana is right over here.”</p><p>“No! Make it black so she can’t steal it!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir sighed longsufferingly. The request board was full for once-- strange. Wakaba was standing by it, probably looking for another job to go on with Macao and Cana. Eir took a long glance and frowned. This was a strange surplus of requests…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Disaster relief to the continent in the east?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“What’s happening in Isvan?” Eir asked, “monster subjugation, charities… that’s a delivery request, escort mission, supply shipments… all the way from Fiore?”</p><p>Wakaba’s expressions turned grim.</p><p>“A demon’s been running loose for a few years now, and it’s just escalated,” he said. “Deliora, it’s called. It’s destroying town after town, and at this rate, people are saying that the country won’t make it to next year. Bosco and Iceberg are flooded with refugees.”</p><p> </p><p>And Eir felt his heart stop.</p><p> </p><p>Deliora, he’s heard the word before. When? In this life? In the last?</p><p> </p><p>(No…)</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You’re from Isvan? That’s really far…”</em>
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    <em>“My father’s out fighting against the demon. With how close it was and how sudden it came, they sent the children running in emergency ships,” someone had told him.</em>
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</p><p>(It’s in this life, not more than a few months ago.)</p><p> </p><p>
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    <em>“We were supposed to go home as soon as we could, but Lamia Scale picked us up on the way and we haven’t been given the all-clear yet, so we’re staying.”</em>
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</p><p>(Ah.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong, Eir?”</p><p>“Master!” Eir rushed over to the counter, to where the little old man was seated calmly. “Could I borrow the Lacrima crystal? It’s urgent.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Armed with just a bag and little more than that, he was in a magic airship on its way over to the next continent.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Are you on the ship, Eir?”</em>
</p><p>The card in his hand hummed a little, speaking with Cana’s voice, slightly glowing at its borders. The little chibi drawing of Cana’s face on it was adorable. Eir wants to keep it. Maybe he can.</p><p>“Yeah, I am,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>This was like a phone. It’s funny that they didn’t have actual technology here, needing to use Lacrima Crystals to talk over long distances-- but this was a nice voice-only substitute. Good investment.</p><p>
  <em>“Eir’s voice is coming from the card!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So cool!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So this is a Call Card… never seen one before.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It cost little Cana a pretty penny, you know? But at least she can customize her own now.”</em>
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</p><p>Oh man, all the adults are acting like curious little kids. Fair enough, since they don’t have normal, portable phones in this world… but still. They’re adults, dammit.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be in Monet in a few minutes,” Eir told them, shrugging on his usual light coat, then an additional winter jacket. Curling a scarf around his neck (maybe the gravure photoshoots and all the free stuff from Ichiya’s clothing line does come in handy) he tugged on his gloves, and looked out the window.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Speaking of which, Eir,”</em> came Master’s voice<em>, “Gildarts went off somewhere in that direction, so punch him back a little nearer to the west for us, could you?”</em></p><p>“You’re saying he fooled around with women enough to travel a few countries over. Amazing,” Eir groaned, “oh I’m seriously going to sent him <em>flying</em>.”</p><p>
  <em>“Have fun!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Cana, you shouldn’t encourage him.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But it’s Gildarts, right? He’ll be fine.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Alright, guys, I’m going to get ready to depart, so I’m going to hang up,” Eir told them, fastening his shoes. “Give Yuka and Toby my regards.”</p><p>And Eir deactivated the magic on the card, tucking it deeply into his inner pockets.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He could see the view-- white, sheer white. As expected from the land of eternal winter, it’s cold even in the airship.</p><p>He was here on the request of Yuka and Toby, both who had parents left over in the crisis. Eir was only going to an area that Deliora’s already passed by, so there was no chance of him coming into contact with the beast itself. Disaster relief, searching for survivors or anything of value left behind, that’s it.</p><p>Just to give Yuka and Toby a peace of mind, and there were a fair amount of jobs this way too, so he was earning quite a hefty sum just being on this airship as a guard.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, so once the airship escort is over, I need to send a parcel to a bar in Monet,” he looked through the mission scrolls in his bag, going through his plan just to get it straight, “then I retrieve a lost item in Brago, then I can go to Yuka and Toby’s hometown, Nilhe. There, I can take a look at Hohen to see the status for destruction report… and on the way back I drop the item in Monet, then from the port I guard the refugee ship back to the West.”</p><p> </p><p>Sounds like a pretty decent plan, albeit a little complicated. But well, if there’s something Eir picked up from Gildarts, it’s his tendency to do a whole bag of jobs at once.</p><p>In fact, Gildarts can do more than Eir could ever dream of.</p><p> </p><p>(Yikes, the moment he starts to idolize Gildarts of all people is the day he’s gone crazy.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“That’s sick, kid, what the hell?”</p><p> </p><p>One good thing about being in a world of magic, is that you don't need a license to drive. Which means no age limit beyond the classic ‘as long as you can reach the pedal’, no longass lectures or tests about traffic rules, and no stupid engine breakdowns.</p><p>Eir strapped on the SE Plug around his wrist, and straddled the magic ice bike.</p><p>There’s a crowd around him in the unloading area, and yeah, a huge Magic Winter Motorcycle is bound to catch a lot of attention, especially when it belongs to a kid. Eir had this commissioned to order and kept in the guild stores for snowy endeavours like these.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll pass your words on to my mechanic,” he told the random, awning fanboy, “but I’m in a rush, so maybe you can glamour it if you’re still here on my way back. Bye.”</p><p> </p><p>He grinded the gears, set a food on the pedal. He felt the engine rev to life, and focused on his wrist, churning out a steady supply of magic into the system and feeling it light through the seams of the bike’s design.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, let’s see how much magic I can pack into this baby without accidentally shattering it to pieces.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. hidden survivor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eir strangely fancied running errands.</p><p>Half of his quests were quite mundane, but this would be his first time this far out of the region. And it’s cold.</p><p> </p><p>In his past life, cold days were hell. There was never enough power in the heater, never enough blankets, never sufficient jackets. He hated the winter, because his hands were always chapped, his lips were always blue-- and the few toes he’s missing would never grow back.</p><p>Now he soared across the field, wind bursting against his face, and he’s got too many jackets to spare. Reedus gave him his old one, then Makarov shoved one of Ivan’s old sweaters in his direction, and then the trend began.</p><p>He also had quite a few spares from all his modelling work.</p><p>Eir felt so, so blessed-- but he didn’t need that many, so he told Cana to hand them to the kids at the church orphanage. Then he invested in a proper heater machine for the building and then a huge heated bath and then he’s bankrupt again.</p><p>Eir had terrible spending habits, yeah.</p><p> </p><p>Now he had gloves, goggles, and even a winter cap and winter boots. He’s never felt so warm in this season before.</p><p>He touched the snow, and for the first time, it was a pleasant thing to feel, to experience. Now he kinda understood anime winter episodes.</p><p>(If only he could bring this warmth back to his kids…)</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head, away from the thoughts, from the needless reminiscing.</p><p>He had better things to do.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Isvan was pretty big, but it’s not bigger than Fiore. It’s a whole ass country so it makes sense-- but a few thousand acres of this snow made him lose his motivation…</p><p> </p><p>“Two acres north of Brago…”</p><p>Eir was rather confident in his map-reading ability, but this was ridiculous. There was nothing but snow out here. Is he trekking the North Pole? If Isvan is like this, what does <em>Iceberg</em> look like? Or is Iceberg filled with grass and they’re pulling an Iceland Greenland on us?</p><p> </p><p>(<em>In case you’re confused, Iceberg is the name of the very large country two continents east of Fiore. I’ve never been there, I don’t think I want to be.)</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, I think that’s a sign. And that was a tower… so this is Nilhe?”</p><p>He came as quickly as he could, but it was dark by the time he made it. Maybe he should have rested with the caravan campers he passed by a kilometer back.</p><p>Or maybe he should’ve stayed in Brago, even if all the villagers had evacuated from the news of Deliora being nearby… he could've, like, stolen a bed or something… actually Master would kill him if they learned he risked a night like that. Nevermind.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Nilhe was decimated.</p><p>Barren land all around, shattered wood, and a musty overcast. Debris and blood sprayed across the ground, and the pure white snow was anything but.</p><p>Deliora was long gone, but the scar remained.</p><p> </p><p>Eir looked on sadly, spotting a crushed house with a shattered dog statue at its gates. There was no sign of life-- and though there was a lot of dirt, mud and rain-- there were also no dead bodies.</p><p>“This is Toby’s house… so two streets down, I’ll find Yuka’s school… right?”</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps someone had come and buried them. There are signs of rubble being shifted around… Eir is evidently not the first mage to be commissioned to check out the state of this city.</p><p> </p><p>He picked up a dog tag, and it read <em>Milo, </em>and at the back,<em> not lost, he’s just smarter than us. Sincerely, the Horhortas</em>.</p><p>Eir stared at it. What kind of joke is this? Well, maybe Toby would want it as a memento, so he pocketed it and continued on his way.</p><p>When he looked out into the horizon, he found a cliff overlooking the scenery.</p><p> </p><p>There were a multitude of sticks over the top, used as markers of makeshift tombstones. <em>So that’s where they were all buried</em>… he’ll have to go over to pay his respects later.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He walked along the town.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Thunk!</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>And then he stopped.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“What is this…?” he moved his foot from the strange metal lid on the ground-- and crouched down to remove the rest of the debris. There’s a stubborn pillar in the way, so he lifts a whole roof off the part before he has to move a few bricks…</p><p>Argh, what a pain.</p><p> </p><p>He picked up a branch, and braced it against the ground-- before spinning it like a top. “<b><em>Enchant: Wind, Rotor!</em></b>”</p><p>And then everything went flying, shattered wood and splinters flying every direction, and Eir barely turned away before one nasty piece took out his eye. The wind had shredded away most of the biggest pillar while busting out the smaller pieces, so all that was left to do was to break through and force the rest of the way in.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe I should have planned that better,” he muttered to himself.</p><p>He didn’t want to slash it and damage the metal in case it was important, so he used a twig-- but said twig was just splinter hell. Thank god for long sleeves.</p><p>It took a little longer, and it was dark out by now, but he managed to clear the way and find himself looking at something that resembled a manhole lid.</p><p>“The sewers? No…”</p><p>There’s no label on it. No company, no town association or anything-- in fact, it’s not made of iron or metal.</p><p>“It’s not metal.”</p><p>It clunks when you knock it-- but it’s smooth and cold, like stone. The colour’s all over the place, too. Opaque, but it's gray, white, and black, and even silver in some parts...</p><p>“It’s rock,” he realized, “granite?”</p><p> </p><p>There were no words on it, just symbols drawn in a circular array, and the emblem of a lock branding proudly in the centre. He put a hand on it, and the magic circle came to life, silver markings floating a little above the lid so Eir could inspect it.</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t quite read much of it, but one thing is clear.</p><p>This thing is a magically constructed barrier.</p><p> </p><p>Someone had used whatever this is as an escape pod, and Eir is almost entirely sure there’s a <em>human</em> inside of it.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“<b><em>Enchant: Wind</em></b>,” he pointed his sword at the center of the barrier-- “<b><em>Wind Bullet!</em></b>”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a second of lull. Then the sword exploded into light, thundering straight down with a roaring shudder-- and the force of wind blew through like a ripple.</p><p>The barrier remained unharmed.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve got to be kidding. Wind Bullet can usually dig a twenty feet hole, you know?” he groaned, exasperated, “what kind of crazy barrier is this?”</p><p> </p><p>Something strong enough to withstand a Deliora attack is probably crazy, yeah, but dude, maybe think about how we’re going to dispel it?</p><p>He could sense magic from it, so he knew there was someone down there. One… probably a child.</p><p>Did they have supplies down there to live? Food, water, warmth, air?</p><p> </p><p>He couldn't dig it up, either. The lid was just that small, but the barrier went underground, too. From the flow of magic, the barrier was a cube, forming a small space under the ground that was indestructible, safe, and perfect as a hideout.</p><p>He pounded his fist against the rock lid, and he yelled. “Anyone down there! Can you hear me?” but there was no answer.</p><p>He couldn’t just <em>leave</em> like this...</p><p> </p><p>“There’s gotta be a way to dispel this…”</p><p>The Magic Seal is inscribed on the stone, bit by bit. That meant it was a language-- ugh, it’s getting harder to see. He made a fireplace, and set up his tent there before he continued working.</p><p> </p><p>He’d read somewhere about the language structure of magic spells… all magic was once casted by ancient chants. Then seals were constructed, which saved time and enabled quicker casting-- but weakened the power.</p><p>So the owner of the barrier wrote it down, bit by bit. That explained how the barrier was so strong… but the key to reverse the barrier should be here, somewhere…</p><p> </p><p>“God, if I could read this…” he swore, then put his hand on the centre carving. “It’s a lock. That means I need a key.”</p><p>In this rubble?</p><p>If the person that made this barrier didn’t expect to survive, why would they hide the key somewhere no one could find it? Where could they even hide a key, when everything’s destroyed?</p><p> </p><p>(Unless the key isn’t a physical object.)</p><p> </p><p>He channeled a handful of magic into the center. Not to destroy, not an attack, not even a gust of wind. Just raw magic power, from one medium to another.</p><p>Because if this is built to defend against Deliora, power isn’t what it’s looking for.</p><p> </p><p>(It’s looking for a mage that could scout it out.)</p><p>(It’s looking for any, non-destruction form of magic.)</p><p> </p><p>“Man, now I wish I brought Cana along,” he muttered to himself. Most Caster type magic, like Eir’s and Gildarts’, were highly destructive in its natural form. Something calm and gentle, like a calm water attack or something, would’ve been ideal.</p><p>Thankfully, Eir had plenty of reserves. He just needed to channel a whole gunk of magic into this--</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Crack!</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>Bingo. There’s a literal split running down the stone, splicing it into a clean half, then another. The lines crossed over the lock, forming a huge X over the stone lid.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir ran his hand over the structure again, and the magic was gone.</p><p>Quickly, he dug through the soil and the snow, and finally-- <em>finally</em>, it opened.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And inside, sleeping on a layer of thick mats and covered in a duvet, was a girl with dark pink hair.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. rocky run</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Running from bandits with a sleeping toddler in your arm is not an ideal. Eir had his other hand on the steering, biting on his inner lip so he wouldn’t bite his own tongue.</p><p>“He’s over there!”</p><p>Damn, the bike’s making too much noise. What’s with them, anyways? Pillaging from dead cities like that... scum are everywhere, aren’t they? Steal whatever the heck you want, but this child and all those research notes in the capsule are mine!</p><p> </p><p>Eir couldn’t really use his magic while driving, neither could he wield his blade properly with a sleeping girl so close to his chest. So he just kept running.</p><p>Speaking of which, he’s totally going to get hit on the head for this. Of all things, it had to be a girl that was in the box…and to make matters worse, she’s probably under a sleep spell. Which means she won’t wake up until Eir finds an expert to dispel it.</p><p>Regardless, these bunch of wackos ambushed him and he just had to run off. He didn’t even get to pay his goddamn respects to the graves up there… alright, alright, running is priority.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a hum in his pocket, so he set the girl in the crook of his jacket (partially zipped so she wouldn’t fall, and he’d already tied her to his belt for extra assurance anyways) before reaching into his pocket and retrieving Cana’s contact card.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Hey, Eir!”</em>
</p><p>“Hi, Cana. Good morning.”</p><p> </p><p>Is this the time for a leisurely talk? Ah, right-- Cana promised to call every morning because she’d never been apart from Eir so long before. Everyone was worried, too, so they wanted to keep tabs on him. Makes sense, but is this the time?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Is it still cold over there? It sounds very windy. St</em>
  <em>atic?”</em>
</p><p>“It’s cold, but nothing I can’t handle, woAH!!” he dodges a wave of green magic what the heck is that, “could you pass the phone-- I mean, the <em>card</em> to Master?”</p><p>
  <em>“Eir, what was that?!”</em>
</p><p>“What was what?” Eir grinded the engine, and braced his foot on the pedal. He put the card in his mouth, and held onto the girl at his stomach before they soared off a cliff into the verge, plunging into snow and then zooming off again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Eir, what’s going on?”</em>
</p><p>“Huh? m’driving, gimme a min,” he managed to stabilize the girl again, but he put his hand on the steering to maneuver back upright-- god, this is why people say you don’t use your phones when driving… but then again people also say don’t carry your baby when driving, so screw that.</p><p>The card’s still in his mouth, so he must really sound muffled. Let’s just hope Cana doesn’t get angry about that…</p><p> </p><p>“Damn it! Get back here, kid!!”</p><p>“You’re not getting away!”</p><p> </p><p>And Eir skidded to a stop, victoriously acknowledging that he’s too far out, too far down. They’d deem the fall a risk not worth taking, and now they were just shouting profanities at him from all the way up that cliff.</p><p>He raised a middle finger at them in lieu of a line of equally scandalous cursing.</p><p>Then he got on his bike, took the card out of his mouth, and continued on his way. Better get out of here before they start throwing stuff at him...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Eir? EIR??”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Eir, what’s going on? I heard yelling! I heard something break!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Oh, better deal with that.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, just a bunch of idiots. Nothing I couldn’t outrun--”</p><p>
  <em>“Run? Eir, you had to run??”</em>
</p><p>“Hey c’mon, I can’t exactly do anything while I’m holding a kid--”</p><p>
  <em>“You’re holding a WHAT?!”</em>
</p><p>Ughh, god save him. “She’s uh-- a survivor I found. I just left Nilhe, and I’m going to take a detour to Misyo to drop her off at the doctor’s.”</p><p> </p><p><em>“Uh,”</em> the voice was a little hesitant, but Master cleared his throat. <em>“Sounds like a lot happened yesterday. Are you unharmed, Eir?”</em></p><p>Eir blinked. “Yeah.”</p><p><em>“That’s great news, then,”</em> Master said,and somehow, Eir could hear the smile that was punctuated by it. <em>“Stay safe, son. When you get home, let’s all go on a vacation!”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Eir flushed, “what do you mean, <em>vacation</em>,” he hissed, blushing-- Master sometimes called the other members son or daughter too, and somehow every time, the reaction is similar.</p><p>(Maybe it’s because Master’s never held Ivan in the same regard…)</p><p>“And why are we celebrating? It’s nothing new-- ah, enough! I’m hanging up!”</p><p>
  <em>“Bye, Eir!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We love you!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Shut up!” he sneered at that obnoxious Macao voice in the background. Hanging up immediately, he shoved it angrily in his pocket and focused on the road.</p><p>A smile tickled the corners of his mouth, but he wasn’t going to admit it.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Having a guild mark was a very useful thing.</p><p> </p><p>“You have the same mark as the guy that came by a week ago!” the nurse exclaimed, entirely enthralled.</p><p>Eir’s eyebrow twitched. A Fairy Tail Mage this far out?</p><p> </p><p>“What did they call him… ah, yes--” another spun his finger around, “the strongest man in the West!”</p><p>“Gildarts?” Eir asked, eyebrow raised.</p><p>“Yes, that’s it!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir facepalmed. Yeah, figures. With his reputation, Gildarts was in fact quite well known as the strongest in Fiore, and by extension the entire west region-- but seriously?</p><p> </p><p>“Oh god, he really came here? What is that old fart <em>doing</em>?” he muttered. Gildarts had the tendency to just run off a little too far sometimes, so Master told Eir to tug on his leash a little... Eir will have to make a detour for him later.</p><p>“You know him?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah. We’re from the same guild.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir turned to the girl that was lying on the bed. Running a hand through her very magenta hair, he sighed. This girl didn’t look that much younger than Cana, so he could only hope that she would be fine…</p><p>“The doctor will be here soon,” one of the nurses told him, “thankfully enough, we had a spell master nearby. She should be in safe hands.”</p><p> </p><p>Sighing in relief, Eir looked through the papers he found buried with the girl. He sat down by the bed, nursing his warm cup of tea and finally catching a break from his long trip.</p><p>The papers were kept in, with another barrier. It’s one that prevents dust, fascinatingly enough. This was dispelled with a simple push at the center of the circle, and with one more push, the barrier came right back up.</p><p> </p><p>“Barrier magic,” he read through the papers, admiring the extended notes, theories, equations… he found the signature at the end. “Professor Blendy.”</p><p> </p><p>An indestructible shield that no force could break, as a safehouse. Then there was an intangible shield that deflected intangible things, keeping the effects of time away. Two forms of the same magic, for different uses.</p><p>This was amazing. It’s an entirely new form of magic-- magic to <em>protect</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Eir put the papers down.</p><p><em>This belongs to the girl, </em>he realized-- <em>not to me</em>.</p><p> </p><p>He had no right to read the research her father spent his life writing down, so he put it on the desk, set up the barrier, and set his bag over it so people would know it belonged to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you leaving?” the nurse asked. “The girl aside, you have quite a temperature, you know?”</p><p>“Hm? Ah, it’s normal for me,” Eir assured her, putting a very cold hand on his neck, suddenly realizing the little ache in his head came with a fever.</p><p> </p><p>He dug around his bag and retrieved his cookies.</p><p>“I’ll be back,” he said, tucking his sword in his belt. “Got a little more work to do,” he said, picking up his job scroll and checking the location of the nearest town on the map. “Hohen is nearby, so I’ll need to do a damage report on that side.”</p><p> </p><p>The nurse looked on worriedly, but didn’t stop him.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. sulfur valley</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hohen was attacked by Deliora a day and a half ago, resulting in a complete loss of contact with the outside world. No one local was willing to travel there, so they commissioned a wizard to delve into the area, just to see if there’s anyone alive.</p><p> </p><p>Hohen was a village in a valley. That meant descending a few hundred miles down an icy verge into the pits of hell, because these insane morons made a nest out of it.</p><p>Okay, fair enough. It’s a nice little place to live in, it’s wide, there’s soil, there’s sunlight, there’s protection in the form of huge glacier walls, and you don’t have to deal with the bullshit of the outside world. Except, Deliora kinda just strolled right through those iceberg walls and trampled over everything, but yeah.</p><p> </p><p>He swallowed a cookie.</p><p> </p><p>Sliding down the hill and making his way to the ground, he inspected the damage. There were monster-sized footprints around, and every house had a caved-in roof. Buildings were shattered like blocks, fields were trampled--</p><p>There was blood, and there were many, many bodies.</p><p>(They didn’t run in time. Maybe they never thought they’d be attacked?)</p><p> </p><p>Eir sighed. Looks like his report will be full of bad news… he picked up a piece of scrap wood from a house, inspecting the char-like marks on them.</p><p><em>Fire?</em> That’s strange. He sifted through the snow on the ground-- <em>soot… and metal shards. </em>Some of the wood looked strange, too. If this was Deliora’s work, why were there signs of bombing? The smell of sulfur…</p><p>Maybe if he looked around a little more...</p><p> </p><p>There’s a shuffle of feet, and a shift in the rubble. Eir snapped forward, alarmed. Reaching for his sword, he straightened, turning to the noise.</p><p>“Who’s there?!” he yelled.</p><p>He’s met with an equally surprised pair of eyes. It’s a woman, and she’s dressed in considerably thin layers for winter…</p><p>Eir’s eyes run to the two children at her feet-- one with dark blue hair and one with silver hair--and the tension in his shoulders ease. He removes his hand from his sword, and turns to face the strange trio.</p><p>The woman had short, dark purple hair, and once she had a good look at Eir, she smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t look like you’re from this village,” the woman observed, “what are you doing so far in Danger Zone, boy?”</p><p> </p><p>One of the boys, the one with silver hair, suggested, “stealing from the corpses?” and the one with dark blue hair clicked his tongue, scowling.</p><p><em>Ah, how adorable.</em> Eir wanted to pinch their cheeks until they said sorry.</p><p>Instead, Eir reached at his shirt, lifting the edge and showing off his guild mark. “I’m a mage,” he explained, “came here to do a damage report.”</p><p> </p><p>“A mage?” the woman raised a brow, “I haven’t seen that mark around before."</p><p>“Hm? Yeah, I’m from Fiore in the west,” Eir untied a sack from his belt, “I could hand you the job scroll if it’ll make you trust me a little more.”</p><p>The woman watched, slightly in awe, as a stack of scrolls spilled from the pouch.</p><p>“No, it’s fine,” she said. And Eir crouched down to gather them up again. She stepped forward, putting a hand on her kids’ heads as they followed. “My name is Ur. I’m just a traveller, and these two kids are Lyon and Gray. Say hi, boys.”</p><p>“I’m Eir,” he said, standing up. Dusting his hands and removing his glove, he shook her hand. But when their hands connected, he flinched, shooting back in alarm.</p><p>And Ur reacted quickly. She stepped forward, and put a hand on Eir’s forehead.</p><p>“You have a fever,” she said a moment later.</p><p>“No thanks to you,” Eir massaged his palm, stepping back with a scowl, “who greets other people with a blast of magic?”</p><p>“Only sensitive people feel anything,” Ur told him, waving dismissively with a little smug grin, “if I did that to my kids, they’d stand there amazed at my strength as a wizard and forget it ever happened.”</p><p>“Well thank fuck for that?” Eir sneered sarcastically. He groaned from a headache pulsing into his head, and he turned around.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait,” Ur stopped him, “you’ve got Magic Overload Syndrome.”</p><p> </p><p>Picking up a cookie from his pouch, he put it in his mouth. “You know of it?” he asked her. <em>Porlyusica’s gonna be angry that I overdosed again...</em></p><p>“Yeah,” Ur said, “my daughter had the same thing.”</p><p>The silence that plagued them probably meant this wasn’t quite basic knowledge for the kids at her feet. Eir hummed, amused.</p><p>“And what happened to her?”</p><p>
  <em>Probably the wrong question.</em>
</p><p>“She died a few years ago.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir couldn’t stop himself from whirling around, shocked. Fists held by his side, he stared at the women for one painful second longer-- then he turned away, a scoff at his throat.</p><p>“I guess that’s what usually happens.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He crouched down, picking apart wooden debris and running his fingers across the yellow powder he found mixed in with the snow.</p><p>He frowned.</p><p>Wiping his hands against his pants, he unbuckled his sword from his belt and used the sheathed sword as a bar to shovel snow aside.</p><p> </p><p>“What’re you doing?” Eir looked over his shoulder to find the white-haired kid crouched beside him, watching curiously. “Huh, weird. It’s yellow.”</p><p>“Right?” Eir responded to him, a softness permeating his voice. The same gentleness he used on the kids back at home. “You notice how everything smells weird around here? I think I’m finding something interesting.”</p><p>“Something interesting?” his voice sparkled with interest.</p><p>“Yeah,” Eir patted him on the head with a gloved hand, “I don’t know what’s going to happen and it might be dangerous, so you go back to Ur, okay?”</p><p>“Okay!”</p><p> </p><p>He stood up and turned to face the woman.</p><p>“I had a kid that was sick too. More like a brother than a son, though,” he chuckled dryly. Looking at her with a meaningful gaze, he smiled. “There’s nothing that hurts more than knowing I couldn’t have done more for him.”</p><p> </p><p>And Ur looked back, her fists tight against her side.</p><p>Her smile was painful this time. “Fate sure is cruel, huh?” She wiped a tear from her eye before it fell, then she turned to the kids at her feet.</p><p>Eir laughed. “We have similar coping mechanisms, huh?” He directed his gaze to the children.</p><p>Ur burst out laughing. “You too, huh?”</p><p>It’s a strange bond.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir punched through the wood on the ground, and found himself looking at a hidden underground passage.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously, what’s with you Isvanians and secret hideouts?”</p><p>“I’m Isvanian, but I have no idea, seriously,” Ur admitted good-naturedly, “abominable snowmen attacks? Blizzard safehouses?”</p><p>“Almost, ice queen,” Eir told her. Swinging himself in and dropping the last three inches in, he found himself facing a mountain of broken crates. The rest of the space was caved in with an explosion, snow crusting through the ground like a snow avalanche.</p><p>He picked up a cylindrical object.</p><p>“Explosives warehouse, apparently,” he reported.</p><p> </p><p>Ur gasped. With a curt reminder for her two boys to stay put, she jumped in after Eir, inspecting the underground warehouse apprehensively.</p><p>“You’ve got to be kidding,” she said, disbelief clear in her voice. “Gunpowder and fuel? I thought the distribution of these was banned.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Eir scoffed. Ironic as it was, perishable resources like ore, oil, and et cetera, were banned from distribution in this world. Mainly because they can run out and harm Earthland along the way, and magic power was a much better (and much more sustainable) alternative to it anyways.</p><p>(Ironic as <em>heck</em>, especially in the perspective of someone that came from a world without magic.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing?” Ur asked when Eir crouched down and began gathering the fragmented pieces into his sack.</p><p>Eir scooped some yellow snow into a pouch and picked up pieces of obviously charred wood, tucking them carefully into his rucksack.</p><p>“It’s not my job to condemn these guys. I’m just going to gather evidence, make my report, and let the Council or whatever in Isvan take care of this,” Eir said. He shrugged, gesturing at the wreckage. “I’m thinking they were trafficking. Then Deliora came by and one of their arsenals blew up in the madness. Karma, I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>Ur stopped.</p><p>“How do you know that?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir pulled his bag over his shoulder. “Y’know, Ur, I’ve seen and smelled my fair share of houses that were blown up or burned down. You've been to Nilhe down south? Let’s play spot the difference. I’ll give you a crash course.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>When they walked up, Ur couldn’t help but think that this boy, a teenager at most-- she couldn’t help but feel like he was older. He spoke casually, he empathized on the most morose things like a pair of war-torn adults.</p><p>It was comforting, yet so discomforting to think about it.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, look. These are written in Bellum’s national scribe. Bookkeeping for sales and distribution. If I bring this back, I think I’ll incite some kind of full-on investigation, don’t you think?” Eir said, his expressions dry but his tone playful.</p><p> </p><p>Ur couldn’t help but sigh.</p><p>“You’re one strange kid, Eir.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. sherry blendy.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So you eat those… cookies… at set intervals to decrease the amount of active magic in your body,” Ur summed up.</p><p>Eir nodded, munching on one more for good measure.</p><p>They left Hohen a while ago, and they travelled to the nearest town, Misyo. Drying off at the town hall while the report goes through the national council of Isvan, they chatted in the cafe, a warm cup of hot chocolate (and coffee) in their hands.</p><p>“It’s not a cure-all, though. I generally have a weaker immune system, so, as you can see,” Eir paused to sigh, “I’ve got a fever, my children give me an aneurysm, the Guilds in Fiore give me muscle exhaustion, and-- uhm, what?”</p><p>He paused when he realized Ur was staring at him with a fond smile.</p><p>“You speak of them with love, don’t you?” Ur asked rhetorically.</p><p>Eir blushed. “No!”</p><p>“What’s a guild?” one of the kids suddenly asked. It’s the dark-haired one, and he’s licking his lips after savouring the marshmallows. Adorable if he wasn’t scowling at everyone.</p><p>Eir wondered if he was the same age as Cana. He looked about that age… something like eight or nine years old?</p><p>“It’s a place where wizards gather to find work,” Ur explained to him. “Lots of strong mages gather in guilds, and they commute to and from there.”</p><p>Eyes turned innocently to Eir.</p><p>“I wont say I”m really strong, but I’m pretty good,” Eir said. Then, humbly, “from what I’ve seen of Miss Ur’s majestic show of power in our handshake earlier--”</p><p>“--hey, I said sorry!”</p><p>“--I’m probably nothing compared to Ur, though.” When Eir said that, he saw the way the two boys very clearly brightened up with pride.</p><p>“Right, right?!” the white-haired one said, cheering excitedly on the table, “Ur’s the strongest! Ever!”</p><p>Now it was Ur’s turn to blush. “Lyon! Stop that, it’s embarrassing!”</p><p>Eir smiled warmly at that.</p><p>“Eir! I heard you returned!” someone ran in-- it’s one of the nurses from the refugee center. EIr lifted his head quickly to receive the lady.</p><p>“You’re the one-- how’s the girl?” Eir realized what she was so worked up about.</p><p>The nurse caught her breath. “She woke up!”</p><p>Eir took off running.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>And the girl was making one hell of a fuss.</p><p>Crying, screaming, demanding, throwing things-- according to the nurse’s recount, at least. And Eir expected that.</p><p>That was a girl that’s just lost her parents, her village, <em>everything</em>. Eir’s met plenty of those in his past life, whether from fires, from avalanches-- and if there’s anything Eir could shamefully admit, he was still <em>so</em> bad at handling them.</p><p>It was only about halfway there when Eir realized that, maybe, he should’ve brought Ur along. She was a woman and she dealt with Gray who was also a victim. She’d understand how to do this far better than Eir could.</p><p>But when he got there, it was quiet.</p><p>
  <em>Way too quiet.</em>
</p><p>Eir stopped before the hospital room-- and he paused, looking toward the nurse for an explanation.</p><p>The nurse flustered. “I- I’m not sure. We were told not to use anymore sleep-inducers because it might cause adverse effects-- so she must have calmed down some other way.”</p><p>Eir’s eyes narrowed.</p><p>He knocked on the door twice before opening it.</p><p>There was another female nurse in the room. The male doctor was in a corner, covered in bruises and pillows and toys and anything else that used to be within reach of the hospital bed.</p><p>And on the bed-- the girl was clutching the package of her father’s research papers.</p><p>Bandages around her arms, wet trails on her cheek-- she stares intently at the words on the paper, understanding them much better than Eir had any hope to.</p><p>She read them, sobbing quietly, skimming through the words and holding the papers close to her-- like she knew the value of those papers were greater than her life.</p><p>She didn’t even turn up to look at Eir as he entered.</p><p>“Oh, Eir-kun,” the doctor greeted, getting up from the cluster of toy debris, “she… seems to have calmed down after finding those papers that were by your things.”</p><p>She recognized them, definitely. The girl was <em>engrossed</em>.</p><p>Eir came forward, carefully.</p><p>The nurses and the doctor excused themselves, but the door was left open.</p><p>The girl flinched away when Eir came to sit beside him. She curled away, squeezing further into the other edge, trying to get as far away from Eir as she could without jostling the IV or falling off the bed.</p><p>Eir smiled, but not too much.</p><p>“Do those belong to your dad?” he asked.</p><p>The girl jumps at the question-- then she brought the papers to the side as if to hide it, staring skeptically, a little alarmed, at the older man.</p><p>Eir leans on the bedside table, carefully, keeping his eyes away from the papers and the girl. “I didn’t read them. But they’re amazing research.”</p><p>Just a little, the girl eased.</p><p>“Your father’s an amazing mage,” Eir says, “all that wreckage, and you were the only thing completely unhurt. It’s honestly the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen.”</p><p>“I <em>know</em>,” the girl snaps at him, her face crumpled with anger and anguish at the same time, tears prickling at the edge of her eyes. She clawed at the covers over her, knuckles white with the force. “You don’t-- understand-- papa was the… <em>the</em> best, and…”</p><p>The girl’s face scrunched up, and in a second, she was back in tears, sobbing loudly into her hands.</p><p>She wasn’t throwing things anymore. She wasn’t even resisting. She was just crying her eyes out, mourning while she had the liberty to.</p><p>And that-- that meant she was a strong girl.</p><p>Eir smiled.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>It took a few more visits, but eventually the girl got more comfortable around Eir, and they spent more time together as she recovered from the remnants of her sleep spell.</p><p>(Seems like there’ll be an extended investigation in Hohen, but from there on it’s a local problem, so Eir decided to wash his hands off that problem and just get his pay.)</p><p>
  <em>Now the only two jobs left are the delivery mission to Monet, and the escort mission back to the West, that’s in two days from now.</em>
</p><p>Now, the tough part.</p><p>“Sherry, I need to tell you something important.”</p><p>His straight-to-the-point greetings were something the hospital still needed to get used to, because it’s just rude for everyone to squawk in surprise when he comes in.</p><p>“Eir! Good morning! You’re early today,” the little girl greeted cheerfully, before swooning-- “oh, I guess this is a form of <b><em>love</em></b> as well?"</p><p>She was physically incapable of speaking a single sentence without that word, and Eir was still trying to gain immunity to this incredulity.</p><p>As usual, the hospital staff file out quickly, and Eir sits down on the chair beside the bed.</p><p>“You’re recovered enough to be discharged, as long as you’re watched well,” Eir said. “So this is sudden, but you need to make decisions.”</p><p>Sherry’s face immediately falls into seriousness.</p><p>“Is it… <em>love</em>?”</p><p>Eir impressively doesn’t change his expressions. “Kinda,” he says, “we found another Mister Blendy-- your aunt and uncle-- in the Southern country of Minstrel.”</p><p>Sherry straightened. “Uncle Gimlet and Aunt Cherry?”</p><p>Eir nodded.</p><p>“They were… on their honeymoon there,” Sherry said in an almost justifying manner. “Love, huh.”</p><p>Eir twitched an eyebrow at that. Love really <em>did</em> save their butts.</p><p>“And this is the tough decision,” Eir said, holding up the job scroll for his escort mission and showing it to the girl. “I’m leaving in two days, back to Fiore in the West. So if you go to find your uncle and aunt, you’ll have to follow another group.”</p><p>Sherry froze.</p><p>“Of course, some of the hospital staff will be with you,” Eir tried to assure her, “you like Nurse Elise, don’t you? She can go with you all the way there, until you find your aunt and uncle again.” </p><p>Sherry eased a little, nodding hesitantly.</p><p>(Oh, Eir messed up. He should’ve thought this through before deciding to bond with her-- now he’s the only one this kid fully trusts and that sucks.)</p><p>(This is gonna be a hard goodbye.)</p><p>“Can I… can’t I go with you?” Sherry spoke up. “To Fiore.”</p><p>And truth be told, Eir kind of expected that. It’s not as if he <em>can’t</em>, but it’s hard to imagine any parent (or uncle or aunt) would be happy or assured that their living relative is under the care of a male wizard from a faraway land.</p><p>He doesn’t think Sherry will accept that explanation, though.</p><p>
  <em>Isn’t there a compromise he can work with?</em>
</p><p>“I- I can use magic!” Sherry interrupts desperately, “not my papa’s magic-- but I know a bit of Doll magic from what Mama taught me. I can be in a guild!”</p><p>And Eir is taken aback. They can work with that-- Sherry can join a guild.</p><p>(But he’s never liked the idea of kids in guilds. It’s just not a nice thing. But Sherry, and Cana, and Karen-- they’re all young and sweet girls.)</p><p>(And Sherry’s not really a people person either. She won’t like being in a group of unfamiliar people so soon.)</p><p>(Can he bring her into Fairy Tail? There’s no reason he can’t-- the others in the guild would love her. But her uncle and aunt won’t be too happy without knowing she’s in familiar hands. Sherry might also stick to him on jobs, and that’s something Eir would rather never deal with again.)</p><p>“How about this?” he suggests, “do you know Suzuki Yuka and Toby Horhorta?”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Ur brought over some stuff that could fit Sherry, including a pink, fur-lined winter coat. Eir and Ur both nodded approvingly when Sherry showed it off like a fashion model. Lyon and Gray haven’t stopped gawking yet.</p><p>“This is also-- <em>Love</em>,” she says, winking.</p><p>At this point, Eir wanted that word tattooed on her body. Wait, that’s child abuse, nevermind.</p><p>Eir removed the fever patch from his head and tossed it in the trash. Another day in this winter hell and it’s over. Great. He can stop feeling like shit soon. He snapped his cookie in half and slotted it in his mouth, picking up his jacket from the chair.</p><p>“Eir! Eir! Do I look good?”</p><p>Eir didn’t even look over. “Yeah, you’re absolutely adorable,” he started arranging the papers in his bag, rolling them up so they wouldn’t get damaged.</p><p>“Yay, he said I’m cute!”</p><p>She’s so overexcited. That’s crazy. Is this seriously the child that was screaming and crying a few days ago? What happened to peace and quiet?</p><p>Oh well.</p><p>“Well then, I’ll be leaving,” Eir turned to Ur and her two kids. “It’s only been a short meeting, but I’m glad I got to talk to you. Come over to Magnolia sometime, I’ll treat you to a meal or something.”</p><p>Ur chuckled. “Only if I feel like it!” she said, “but for now, my home’s here in the grueling winters, y’know. Can’t quite bring myself to go anywhere.”</p><p>Eir smiled sadly. “Then I’ll come visit.”</p><p>“You’re always welcome, Eir,” Ur said, putting her hand on his head. “Take care of your health, got it? Don’t want you dying on me.”</p><p>“Mind your own business, Ice Queen.”</p><p>“And there’s that prickly little brat again.”</p><p>“Stop treating me like a kid.”</p><p>Beside them, Lyon, Gray and Sherry share a look and a smile. Then, they sigh fondly at the two older ones.</p><p>Ur was totally treating Eir like one of hers, and Eir was the only one not seeing it.</p><p>When they waved goodbye after that, leaving for opposing directions, there were only smiles on their faces, new bonds left behind, and a promise unspoken in their lips.</p><p>
  <em>(I go my way, you go yours.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(But our ideals, they’re the same.)</em>
</p><p>Eir might never meet a person as similar to him again, and that alone made everything just a little bittersweet to think about.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. welcome to Fiore.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir's finally back in Fiore! <br/>But first, they stop by Lamia Scale.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Idk if I need to clarify this again but like, thus far, every girl is like, at least five years younger than Eir. Sherry's even almost half his age. And Eir, if you add his mental age, is a total adult. </p><p>Even <i>Laxus</i> is a baby in his opinion, he's not romantically interested in any of his kids, <i><b>this is not a harem fic.</b></i> There's just a lot of girl characters in Fairy Tail.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Fiore! Fiore! This is Fiore? Hey Mister Ferry Station guide, are we in Fiore? Yes? Eir, we’re in Fiore!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir is feeling really very kinda awfully sick right now.</p><p>Biology does not like him, because the temperature change back to the West actually made him <em>sicker</em> instead of giving him an immediate recovery like he’d hoped.</p><p> </p><p>(Dammit. Why doesn’t anime logic apply to him when he needs it to?)</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t manage to find Gildarts after all. He’s good at running away, so after seeing the news about a few landmasses Gildarts probably shattered in his sleep, Eir decided he wasn’t going to try to look for him and came right on home.</p><p>“Eir, there are so many trees!” Sherry exclaimed, like she’d never seen a tree before or something. “Eir, look! A four-leaf clover! They’re all over the place!”</p><p> </p><p>The entrance kingdom, Foss, has a port town offside of the sea. It’s the easternmost town of Fiore, and it’s much, much warmer than Isvan.</p><p>“Hey Cana,” he spoke into the call card, “I’ll be in Magnolia in a couple hours.”</p><p>
  <em>“Master, it’s incredible! There’s nothing in the newspapers! Eir didn’t destroy anything on his way back!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What? That’s a miracle! Call the priest!”</em>
</p><p>Eir was irked. Maybe he should shatter a couple buildings along the way out of spite.</p><p>“Anyway,” he seethed, “I need to swing by Lamia first, so you guys be there to grab my bike when it drops, okay?”</p><p>
  <em>“Say hi to li’l Sherry for us!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Emergency Alert. Eir’s status right now has gone from child-gatherer to lolicon. I repeat--”</em>
</p><p>Eir shoved the card in his pocket. Seriously, why does he bother to deal with them again?</p><p> </p><p>He turned back to Sherry only to find the girl staring at him expectantly. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen the card before this, had she? Eir did all the communicating while Sherry was getting her checkup.</p><p>“This is a Call card,” he showed her, passing it to her, “they come in pairs. See the Gheel writings at the bottom? They’re unique and come in pairs-- so no matter where I am, I can talk to whoever has the other card.”</p><p>Sherry inspected the card curiously, holding it up to the sun with interest. “So it’s like a communication Lacrima?” she asked, handing it back to Eir for safekeeping.</p><p>“Pretty much,” he says. Cards are portable, and aren’t video calls, though.</p><p>Sherry was still staring expectantly at him.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I want one!” she said, hands clasped together in a pleading manner, “it’s be like-- oh, <em>Love</em>-- I mean, I want to talk to you more even after I go with Yuka and Toby!”</p><p>Eir put a hand on her head. “Don’t worry, Sherry. There’s a Lacrima in Lamia Scale that Yuka and Toby use to call me all the time. You can call me with that whenever you want to.”</p><p>Sherry pouted a little.</p><p> </p><p>Eir honestly didn’t understand why she was so upset for a while. Is it because she wanted to go to Fairy Tail after all?</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Sherry seemed to like wearing her hair up in twintails, so a short-sleeved gothic one-piece and a well-placed bunny doll later, she was in high spirits and catching the eyes of everyone on the streets.</p><p> </p><p>Eir’s wallet is crying, but for cuteness and the happiness of his newest little sister, he is willing to starve for a while.</p><p>
  <em>Cana’s more of an innocent little country girl;. Karen’s the mature beauty; and Sherry’s a gothic lolita archetype, no doubt. They’re capable of filling the pages of Weekly Sorcerer on their own once they’re old enough.</em>
</p><p>Suddenly realizing his train of thought, Eir froze.</p><p>(<em>Shit, he’s thinking in fashion magazines.</em> He’s being infected by the gravure magazine dress-up bug and it’s all Ichiya’s fault!)</p><p> </p><p>Eir was currently having an existential crisis in the middle of the road.</p><p>Anyways.</p><p> </p><p>After a quick wardrobe change to warm-weather clothing, they boarded the railways.</p><p>“Can I really have all of this?” Sherry asked, hugging her bunny closer to herself. “I don’t have to pay your back?”</p><p>“Of course not, it’s a gift.” Eir hummed, leaning his elbow on the armrest and resting his chin on his hand. “But you’ll have to ask the big sisters in Lamia to buy you new clothes, okay? I’m sure they have a better taste for clothing than I do. Something more practical.”</p><p>“But I like these clothes,” Sherry insists, blushing a little, “they’re… <em>Love</em>.”</p><p>Eir chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir didn’t last a second at Lamia Scale’s guild entrance before he’s abducted by a furious Jura Neekis and shoved into the infirmary.</p><p>Sherry was at first, suddenly left behind-- but then Yuka and Toby came to greet her, and in seconds they were crying at each other in a pile of relief.</p><p>The guild collectively panicked at their three, now crying, kids.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Sherry Blendy,” she introduced herself, still clutching her bunny doll, Yuka and Toby on either side of her. “I will be in your… <em>Love</em>. I mean,” she buried her face into her doll, “I will be in your care. From now on.”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a moment of silence in Lamia Scale.</p><p>Then it exploded with noise.</p><p>“She’s so cute!”</p><p>“Finally, a girl! A young girl! GUYS WE GOT A GIRL NOW”</p><p>“Yes! Now the Fairies and the Pegasi can’t lord their girls over us!”</p><p>“A gothloli! A GOTHLOLI!”</p><p> </p><p>And immediately, Toby yelled, “HEY! DON'T OGLE HER GET AWAY!” in a fiery, explosive manner. No one is phased by it, though. Yuka turned away with a long suffering sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, Yuka, about Love, I mean, about Eir,” Sherry lost interest in the crowd immediately, turnin back to Yuka, “he has been gone for quite a while now…”</p><p>“Ah, him? He’s a frail guy, so every time he comes by one of the guilds, we have to make sure he’s healthy before sending him back. It’s a rule,” Yuka says.</p><p>Sherry blinked. “A rule?”</p><p> </p><p>Sherry hasn’t known Eir for long, but ‘frail’ wasn’t a word she’d use to describe him at all. Ur acknowledged him, Gray and Lyon thought he was impressive. Yet, the people in Fiore called him frail?</p><p>(She’s not sure if she’s happy about that. But he <em>did</em> look a little sick on the way back.)</p><p> </p><p>“Is this.. Also a form of <em>Love</em>?” she asked, a palm on her cheek in contemplation.</p><p>Yuka hummed, “I guess?”</p><p>“Why is everything Love with you?!” Toby snapped, but with no heat in his words.</p><p>Sherry giggles.</p><p> </p><p>Back at home, they were a little less than friends. Parents knew parents, and occasionally they shared classes or walks home, but they were never nothing more than kids in the same neighbourhood-- they had no similarities in interests.</p><p>Yuka and Toby were the popular group and the loner group respectively, yet here they were, inseparable like childhood friends.</p><p> </p><p>In the short time since Sherry came into the guild building, they never left her alone. At least one of them was by her side at all times, and she was shyly pretending not to notice.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, that’s right--” she reaches into her pocket, “Toby.”</p><p>She places the little metal object into Toby’s hands.</p><p>“What’s this-- GAAAH!” Toby shrieked at the end of it, upon realizing what it was, “this is--?!”</p><p>Sherry beamed. “This, too, is a form of <em>Love</em>!”</p><p>Toby started bawling, “it’s Milo’s dog taaaaag!!” and proceeded to wail hysterically.</p><p> </p><p>Yuka covered his ears with a groan, walking away from the scene. Sherry noticed and followed him, because if there’ someone she preferred to be with at the moment, it was the quietere of the two.</p><p>For one, Sherry knew she would <em>love</em> to be a part of this guild.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. home sweet home.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir finally goes home to Fairy Tail. They go on a vacation for a while, and talks are talked. </p><p>Eir returns to Magnolia... and Gray is there.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Oh, Jura-san! How’s Eir?”</p><p>It’s been two days, and Eir was still confined to the Lamia Scale infirmary.</p><p>Eir had told Cana he'd be home in two days, but mirthfully, that did not happen. They <em>did </em>contact Fairy Tail over a communication Lacrima, so they're not worried, but Eir still felt terrible about it.</p><p> </p><p>Eir was known to fall sick for as much as being too sweaty in humid weather, but he’s also known for his ability to bounce back up just as quickly.</p><p>So a rest as long as this one is definitely cause for worry.</p><p> </p><p>“One thing for sure, he’s not going back to Isvan for another long, long time,” Jura sighed, settling down at the bar as he was served a cup of tea. “His fever’s finally gone down a little, but it’s not at a safe temperature yet.”</p><p>“Isn’t he too frail, even for whatever he’s sick with?” someone asked, “he’s strong enough to cut the sea in half but he falls sick when rain blows the wrong way at him? It just doesn’t make sense, y’know?”</p><p>“Then again, when has that kid ever made any sense?” another guy responded with a shrug.</p><p>“Even with that handicap, Eir’s strong, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the strongest non-S class mage in Fairy Tail right now.”</p><p>“So he’s like… Jura?”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a moment of silence.</p><p> </p><p>“Y’know, they’re probably our future S-class wizards, right?”</p><p>“...but who’s stronger?”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>In the other side of the guild hall, Sherry, Yuka, Toby and Master Ooba Babasama were reading through Professor Blendy’s notes.</p><p>“I’m a Holder Type, so I don’t get it,” Toby said, “are all Caster Magic this hard to understand?”</p><p>“I don’t get a thing either,” Yuka muttered. “I’ve never been good at complicated magic concepts anyways. This is more in the line of the writing magics, but unlike with Runes, all the writing’s in your head.”</p><p>“Why is the writing only in our head?!”</p><p>“Why are you getting mad Toby, I don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>“This is all merely theoretical,” Master Oobaba says, “all magic begins with concepts in written form. They are then condensed and simplified and passed down-- and when they start to come naturally to us, the starting theorem is forgotten.”</p><p>As she spoke, she sifted through each paper with interest, nodding mutely before continuing to read through them.</p><p> </p><p>Sherry was fascinated. Her father’s research was his proudest work, and she would hate to see it go to waste from her own lack of understanding.</p><p>She was reluctant to hand it off to the Magic Investigations Bureau either, because-- this was <em>hers</em>. The only thing she had left of her father and everything he spent his life working for. She wanted to keep it for herself, not to share it with the world.</p><p>(Is she selfish to think like that?)</p><p> </p><p>“It’s magic like these that end up being Lost to the world,” Master Oobaba explains. “It’s very profound research.”</p><p>Yuka perked up, “Granny, do you understand it?”</p><p>Master Oobaba puts the papers down. “Nope, not a single bit.”</p><p> </p><p>They facefault in unison.</p><p> </p><p>“It’ll be fine,” Master Oobaba gathered the papers back together and handed them back to Sherry. “Nothing is made to be wasted. If you treasure this enough, you’ll eventually come to the day you can use this for good.”</p><p>Sherry thought deeply about that.</p><p> </p><p>(It’s definitely <em>Love</em>, isn’t it?)</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Are you still alive in there, Eir?”</p><p>“Please kill me.”</p><p>“Jura-san, I think he’s healthy enough to leave.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Of course, Jura is in charge of walking Eir home.</p><p>It might as well be his part-time job at this point, because he does it every time and doesn’t trust Eir to not do it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>(“You’re only two years older than me.”)</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>(“And yet you act as stubborn as a child.”)</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>Eir gave Sherry a pat on the head as a goodbye, and somehow, Sherry started crying.</p><p>After a very loud and tear-filled goodbye that everyone is going to hold against Eir forever, they finally started making their way back toward Magnolia.</p><p>“Woah, a whole stack of cash.”</p><p>Eir marvelled at the paper bag of cash, hugging it to his chest. He’s never handled this much cash at once before. Over-continent missions really pay a lot, huh. He should do them more often.</p><p> </p><p>(Ah, Eir loves money.)</p><p>(Though half of it is going to go to his and Cana’s rent in a few moments, but still.)</p><p> </p><p>“You sure act like a child at strange times,” Jura says.</p><p>Eir blushed a little, turning away and sticking the stash of money back into his bag hastily. Jura laughed at that.</p><p>“You really ought to take it easy sometimes,” Jura told him. “Why did you want to go to Isvan to begin with?”</p><p>And Eir’s face fell.</p><p> </p><p>Why did he go? To begin with, it was just the instinct of someone that cared for Yuka and Toby, he just wanted to do something for them-- to let them get a little something of a closure for what happened to their families.</p><p>(It was more sad news than anything closure-like, though.)</p><p>(Sherry was just a happy bonus.)</p><p>(Meeting Ur and Gray was another happy accident.)</p><p>Maybe it just reminded him of his past life. Plenty of his kids came from lives like those-- disasters, orphaned by calamities, survivors of unfortunate circumstances.</p><p>(Eir himself had come from one of those as well, but he doesn’t really remember his past life’s history anymore. It didn’t matter.)</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just had a feeling.”</p><p>He just wanted to be near a scene like that again.</p><p>So he’d never forget the horrors of life, and so he’d forever remember the role he wanted to play in this one.</p><p> </p><p>(He’s not supposed to be an innocent child. He’s an adult. He can’t let himself be ignorant of the worst of this world.)</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a nice person,” Jura said. He put a hand on Eir’s head.</p><p>Eir pouted, looking away. “Why is everyone in this world so sappy?”</p><p>Jura laughed.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“WELCOME HOOOOOME!!”</p><p>The guild’s apparently in party mode already. Eir walked into the guild, and the welcome he got was loud and dramatic and full of love. People have booze in their hands, party poppers in the air, and their cheers resound through the building.</p><p> </p><p>“Eir!”</p><p>Eir squawked when two figures literally barrel right into him, sending him crashing right back to the ground in a sprawled, painful heap.</p><p>The guild burst into laughter.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re finally back!”</p><p>“What took you so long?!”</p><p>Cana and Laxus sat on him, all teary-eyed and throwing whiny tantrums.</p><p> </p><p>All crying children aside, there was a loud celebration in the guild that day, and they partied all night. There were instances of Eir needing to punch a few people that tried to feed Cana some booze, but it was fun and chaotic and it was Fairy Tail.</p><p>Jura left early in the morning, leaving Eir to the mercy of his kids.</p><p> </p><p>Speaking of Cana and Laxus, they clung to him for the entirety of the rest of the day (and the next), and Eir groaned through everything.</p><p>He spent most of his reward money treating them to food and toys as compensation for making them worry (he can’t even complain about that. The kids just <em>know </em>he’s a softie for them and they’re taking advantage of it.)</p><p> </p><p>“When are the two of you going to go home?” Eir groaned. He woke up on the third day and the two kids are on his bed again.</p><p>He was like, 100% sure he walked <em>both</em> of them home last night and then locked his window before he slept. Why are they like this?</p><p>“Never!” Laxus declared. “Go on a job with me next time!”</p><p>“No, I wanted to go with him!” Cana whined. “You’ve never gone on one with me!”</p><p>“You’re still a kid! You’re gonna pull us down!”</p><p>“I won’t! I’m stronger now!”</p><p>“I want to be with Eir!”</p><p>“NO! You hog him all the time!”</p><p>“He’s going with me!”</p><p>“No, ME!”</p><p>Eir is going to lose his temper one day and he is going to make these kids feel the terror of the century.</p><p> </p><p>(But well, maybe not today.)</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go on one together, then?” he suggested. He rested his chin on his palm with a fond sigh, smiling as the two just kept bickering before them.</p><p>Cana wrapped her arms around him, and Laxus’ body was starting to spark with angry lightning bolts. Between them, Eir couldn’t help but laugh.</p><p> </p><p>(He’s really too soft on these kids.)</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Vacation!”</p><p>“Fairy Tail Vacation!”</p><p> </p><p>To celebrate Eir’s safe return, the entire guild went on a “for a while”-long vacation, leaving only a note on the door behind them.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, where’s Wakaba?”</p><p>“Apparently he’s heartbroken so he’s holding down the fort.”</p><p>“You’re <em>kidding</em>. We brought the <em>dog</em> but we didn’t bring Wakaba?”</p><p> </p><p>They’re at the beach. Wearing swimsuits and baring his Fairy Tail mark for once, Eir found himself pulled around by Cana and Laxus.</p><p>(The way their marks matched on bare skin was strange and yet so endearing when they were together.)</p><p> </p><p>“Why can’t I go into the water?” Laxus pouted.</p><p>“Don’t be whiny, Laxus,” Eir sighed, helping Cana build her sandcastle. “I don’t want you to sneeze and accidentally cause mass murder.”</p><p>“I won’t.”</p><p>“If you can electrocute me in a bathtub, you can electrocute me in the sea. I’m not risking it, Biribiri.”</p><p>“STOP calling me that!”</p><p> </p><p>Cana stared at them. “Do I want to know why you two were in a bathtub together?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir’s face remained blank, but Laxus blushed a raging red.</p><p>“I- I was like, seven! I swear!” Laxus insisted, “we don’t do it anymore! Except at the bathhouse! What’s with that face? Stop making that face!”</p><p>Cana stared disbelievingly at him. Laxus squawked indignantly.</p><p>Eir sighed, exasperated, “you’re all such kids. It’s just bathing together, no big deal about it, right?”</p><p> </p><p>And this was an anime, so they seemed to have a Japanese mindset about baths, anyways. There are even public baths as far more of a normality than any Western country would ever become, so Eir honestly didn’t get the whole fuss.</p><p>Cana snickered in an evil manner. Laxus made an offended squeaking noise.</p><p>Eir sighed.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>A few days have gone by since Eir came back, and the two kids were basically Eir’s permanent accessories now. Cana was mostly perpetually on Eir’s back or shoulders, and Laxus kept a hand at him at all times.</p><p>Dart the little puppy liked to rest on Eir’s head, within the mess of his hair.</p><p>“Ice cream!”</p><p>“No, waffles!”</p><p>Eir groaned, “I’ll give you my wallet so leave me alone.”</p><p>“NO!”</p><p>And thus the terror continued.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>After a tiring night, most of the guild was finally asleep and Eir finally found himself some alone time by the beach, sitting at the shore and enjoying the night sky against the sea.</p><p>Isvan felt so far away now.</p><p> </p><p>“Finally free from the gremlins?”</p><p>Eir turned around. “Master? What’re you doing awake at this hour?”</p><p>“Well, probably the same reason you’re not sleeping,”</p><p> </p><p>Master settled beside him. Both dressed in bathhouse yukata with the moonlight above them, the shimmering seas before them-- they spent a long moment just indulging in the calm silence of the situation.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking, Eir,” Makarov spoke up. “Compared to the other guilds in Fiore, Fairy Tail is still lacking in power. Has been lacking in power for a long, long while.”</p><p>Eir looked at him, and didn’t make any noise in response.</p><p> </p><p>Fairy Tail was certainly lifted high for Gildarts’ power alone-- he was the only S-class wizard in the guild at the moment, yet he was the strongest of all wizard in Fiore.</p><p>However, on average, Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale definitely have stronger wizards.</p><p> </p><p>And even now, Eir was head and shoulders above the others in strength.</p><p>It’s not hard to understand, because he was born with an overload of magic power to begin with-- but it’s pathetic in guild standards, that their second best is a fifteen-year-old teenager that isn't even an S-class yet.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s been a long time since I’ve considered holding the exams.”</p><p>Eir straightened his back. “The exams? The… the S-class exams?”</p><p>Makarov nodded.</p><p>“In the previous guild meeting, Bob and Ooba have said that there’s been a stalemate in great wizards, in all of our guilds. It’s been hard to find enough candidates to hold an exam,” Makarov said.</p><p>“...isn’t that bad news?” Eir said.</p><p> </p><p>All guilds chose a handful of candidates, held a test, and only chose the cream of the crop to promote. If there weren’t a lot of strong wizards to choose from, that meant the general level of wizards was going down. That’s not good for the future.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, there’s little we can do about it,” Makarov said. “So anyways, to tell you the truth, I was planning on making you S-class soon.”</p><p>Eir grimaced. “Master, are you drunk?”</p><p>“Eir, usually people are happy to receive a commendation from the Master, y’know?” Makarov deadpanned, “could you be a normal child for once and just be happy?”</p><p>Eir turned away, “I’m literally fifteen. Are you trying to break some world record by making me an S-class out of desperation? Give that promotion to Macao or something.”</p><p>“Macao’s not really interested at this point of time. You know that.”</p><p>“That’s a lie, if there’s anyone that isn’t interested in the S-class promotion, it’s me.”</p><p>“Well too bad, cause you’re getting it.”</p><p>“Insinuate that again and I’m going to <em>quit</em>.”</p><p>“What is this, your rebellious phase?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir turned away with a defiant pout. Makarov gave a long-suffering sigh, nursing a newly-forming headache. The Master’s already been through Ivan's rebellious phase, and he’s not getting any better at dealing with it.</p><p>Makarov sighed. “The generation gap in this guild is wide. You’re the only one between us-- so you’ll have to carry the new generation, y’know?”</p><p>Eir laughed at that. “I’m already literally carrying two children on my back every day, Master. I don’t need to be S-class to do it.”</p><p>“Well, if you really don’t like it, I’ll wait a year and ask you again,”</p><p>“My answer’s not going to change, Master.”</p><p>“We’ll see.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir groaned, looking away. In a way, Master was just as stubborn as Laxus. Or maybe it’s the other way around?</p><p>He put a hand on the sand.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not a leader type, so maybe you should leave Laxus to become the breadwinner of the next generation,” he told the Master, grinning a little. “I’m fine just being the guild-assigned babysitter, y’know?”</p><p>Now it’s Master’s turn to sigh. “You’re really stubborn, you know that?”</p><p>“You’re one to talk!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>It had been a nice vacation, full of family time and heartwarming get-togethers.</p><p>Isvan was far behind him, a mission done well and completed, with new friends in the distance and new stories to share in the future. Eir enjoyed the moment of peace.</p><p>That’s why the last thing Eir expected to walk home to was news of Wakaba being abducted, and Circus Night being the culprits.</p><p> </p><p>“They’ve got some guts, laying a hand on my kids.”</p><p> </p><p>Of course, finding their hideout was easy. Fairy Tail was always there for their kind, and though the numbers were pretty even, the small-time guild stood no chance once they were surrounded by Fairy Tail mages.</p><p>Fairy Tail may not have mages stronger than Lamia, but it was certainly strongest in Magnolia. Power of Emotions and everything. When it came to battles for the sake of their own, Fairy Tail was definitely first place hands down.</p><p> </p><p>“Rip this place to shreds!” Makarov commanded, and the members of the guild were more than happy to oblige.</p><p> </p><p>Eir drew his sword.</p><p>Time to run wild, for the first time in a while.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Enchant Wind: Gale Burst!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>And suddenly, Eir realized Gray was there, in the crowd-- covered in wounds and fighting for a friend that was also captured by Circus Night. </p><p>But it's not Lyon. It's a new friend, one that Gray's made in his own, few-day-long journey from one continent to the next.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(What was Gray doing in Fiore?)</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Something was wrong. Very wrong.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Where's Ur?)</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. tomorrow's ice.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir struggles to take in the bad news-- but really, it's not something he can't handle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“If you’re well enough, run on now. I don’t like the smell of humans.”</p><p> </p><p>And unceremoniously, just like that, Gray is tossed out of the cantankerous curmudgeonly old lady’s house.</p><p>With a bag of cookies.</p><p>“Don’t eat those,” she warns, “they’re for Eir and if you eat them, you’ll regret it.”</p><p>Well, if there’s one thing Gray learned from Ur, it’s the fact that old ladies are very scary. And he remembered something about how his cookies were his medicine or something, so Gray isn’t going to risk it either way.</p><p>“Are these gingersnap cookies?”</p><p>Gray wandered to Fairy Tail-- and from there, only bad news came and went.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, Eir, pleeease?”</p><p>“Gimme a second, Cana.”</p><p>Laxus grabbed the girl by the scruff, lifting her off of the bed. “Stop that, Cana,” Laxus chided her. Tossing her over his shoulder like a suitcase, he turned toward the door. “c’mon, let’s go on a job.”</p><p>“Ehhh I don’t wanna go on one with you!” Cana whines, “Eirrrr!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir rested the back of his hand against his eyes with a shoulder-sagging sigh. The sun was high in the sky, but he was still lying on his bed, too upset.</p><p>“Sorry, Cana,” Eir told her, “maybe tomorrow. I want to be alone for now.”</p><p> </p><p>Cana’s face fell. In Laxus’ grasp, she stopped struggling.</p><p>This time, when Laxus continued to walk out, Cana followed and didn’t say a thing.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, you’re going to be all sad, too?” Laxus asked her when they made their way back to the guild. “We’ve got enough moody faces in the guild already.”</p><p>Cana’s head hung, her expressions sullen.</p><p>If there was anything they knew-- it was the fact that Eir never chased them away. Eir considered himself a lone wolf-- but there wasn’t a time he’d ever avoided other people. He felt most at ease between Laxus and Cana, and anyone could see that.</p><p>And yet.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>(“I want to be alone for now.”)</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>That’s bullshit and Cana hates that she can’t bring herself to yell at Eir about how he shouldn’t be lying like that.</p><p>Laxus groaned beside him, rubbing the back of his head in a troubled manner.</p><p>“C’mon, people are gonna talk if I’m walking around with you and you’re crying your eyes out,” Laxus crouched down in front of her. “Eir’s going to kill me.”</p><p>Cana was irked. She barked at him. “Well he <em>should</em>, because I hate you!”</p><p>Laxus just stared, with the most unimpressed and unamused expression he could muster. “That was totally uncalled for.”</p><p>“You’re a meanie!” Cana yelled. “Asshole! Meathead!”</p><p>Laxus stood up and turned away. “Right, right,” he grumbled. “Well, this meanie-asshole-meathead is going to get some ice cream, so if you want some, you better come along.”</p><p>Cana’s face scrunched up, her fists clenched-- and that was when the dam burst. She burst into tears, wailing into the sky.</p><p>Laxus jumped.</p><p>“Shit, now <em>Gramps</em> is going to kill me!” he straight-up panicked, “Cana! I get it, I’m sorry! Stop crying already! Cana… Uh, please? Please? Look, let’s go on a job together or something, okay? Stop crying! I’m begging you.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Ur was dead, apparently.</p><p>It had happened not even a week after Eir parted ways with them. Gray had challenged Deliora. Ur used a forbidden spell, and it can’t be dispelled without killing Ur altogether. Lyon’s lost it and left them behind-- it’s all in shambles.</p><p>That endearing little crew of mother and two sons-- they’ve crumbled.</p><p> </p><p>Ur was dead. Ur was <em>dead</em>, just like that.</p><p>Even though she was so kind, even when she’d done not a bad thing in the world.</p><p> </p><p>(If Eir had just stayed behind a day longer instead of prioritising his mission, maybe things would’ve changed for the better. Maybe Ur wouldn’t be dead, Lyon wouldn’t be gone, and Gray wouldn’t be shattered just a little inside.)</p><p> </p><p>This was all so upsetting and he just hated how <em>angry</em> he was about it.</p><p>He thought he was used to this.</p><p>Things like this happened all the time back then. Human life was so much more fragile in that other world without magic, he’d seen and heard and <em>experienced</em> this pain, this loss, this misery-- tens of thousands of times.</p><p>And yet, each time, he still felt like crying.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe this was fate.</p><p>Maybe people like them just didn’t deserve a long life anyways. People who dedicate their lives to others don’t pursue their own happiness, so they end up losing their lives young for another person’s sake. It’s just the karma and code of destiny and it <em>sucked</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“Geez, am I actually crying?”</p><p>Looking out at the window blankly, he felt his breath shake, his nose run. He reached up and smeared away the tears with his sleeve.</p><p>(There was no way he could cry when the kids were here.)</p><p>But somehow, he just knew that Ur died happy. Fulfilled, like she’d found her purpose in life by dying nobly for her child. It’s the kind of gratified death Eir couldn’t get in his past life, and it sort of made him jealous.</p><p> </p><p>“Man, I really wanted to get old enough to share a drink with you one day,” Eir spoke into the air. “Complain about our children, quarrel about which kid we were most proud of, like a pair of idiotic childhood friends in their middle ages.”</p><p> </p><p>Because they weren’t just friends-- they were similar. If Eir was born just a generation early-- which he was, in his head-- they’d have clicked like fast friends, connecting into something closer than friends, but far from lovers.</p><p>They would’ve been an inseparable pair of obnoxious godparents to each other’s children. Like old friends that would argue over whose kids were the smartest or the dumbest.</p><p>Stupid things like that-- oh god, is Eir being serious now? He’s imagining things because he’s so sad right now. This is just pathetic. Stop dreaming.</p><p>He breathed in slowly. Breathed out shaky.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Today he’ll cry. Today he’ll let himself drown in grief. He’s still a teenager, according to everyone-- he’s allowed to do that much.)</em>
</p><p>Then he hopped off his bed, reaching for the curtains before drawing them shut. Wiping off his tears, he took one clearing, fresh breath, and crawled back into his bed.</p><p>He’s already tired, so he may as well sleep the day away.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(But tomorrow, he’ll be an adult, and move on.)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“You two are going on one together? That’s rare,” Master said, looking over the mission. It’s a collection mission, for some rare plants in... the West Forest?</p><p>“I’m handling the fighting, Cana’s handling the collecting,” Laxus delegated cleanly, looking very miserable and exhausted. “We’ll be back tomorrow or something.”</p><p>Cana was clinging to his side, face buried by his waist.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, split it evenly, okay? And don’t fight on your way there,” Master reminded them, handing the paper back to the teenager. “Have a safe trip.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Laxus made his way out of the guild. “We’re going now.”</p><p> </p><p>Macao watched them both leave, slightly in awe of how bedraggled the teenager looked. Wakaba took a drag of his pipe, equally impressed.</p><p>Laxus had scratches on his face like he’d just tussled with a horde of kittens, he had tears in his clothes, and dark circles under his eyes. Cana was clinging to his side but Laxus made no move to shove her off-- what is going on?</p><p>“So, which wild cat did he fight with to end up like that?” Macao asked.</p><p>“The same one that’s clinging at his side, probably,” Master responded.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a moment of silence in the guild. Gray looked on in confusion from his spot by the bar. When the guild erupted in fond laughter at the scene, Gray took a sip of his juice.</p><p>“Who’s those two?” he asked.</p><p>Wakaba looked over at him. “Oh right-- you haven’t met them, have you?” he smiled. “The boy is Master’s grandson, Laxus. The girl is Cana, and she’s about your age.”</p><p>Gray blinked once.</p><p>He recognized those names from when Eir and Ur talked-- so those were them? He’d never seen a picture, but maybe he should’ve figured when they were the only kids in the guild he’s seen thus far.</p><p>“They’re Eir’s kids?” he asked.</p><p>Macao laughed. “I guess you could say that!”</p><p> </p><p>Gray kept an eye on them as they slowly walked further off into the distance, the boy walking awkwardly because of the girl by his side.</p><p>Macao leaned back against the bar counter. “I’m sure if you ask them next time, they’ll be willing to take you along.”</p><p>Gray blushed, “That’s not why I’m staring!”</p><p>“Guess we’re adding another to Eir’s adoption count,” Wakaba hollering as he raised his glass, “take a shot, everyone. Eir got himself another one!”</p><p>And a few in the guild groaned, “Enno, I need a refill, please!”</p><p>“Me too!”</p><p>“Same here!”</p><p>“Are you guys seriously playing a drinking game to that?” Gray asked incredulously, “is this guild always like this??”</p><p> </p><p>Oh boy, he had no idea.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. number three.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gray experiences the craziness that is Eir. He is slowly losing hair.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: One last chapter to wrap up x774!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“First Vandalay, now Sorcerer?” Eir asked, pointing at himself with the most unimpressed deadpan he could muster, “you guys want… this? Staring at you from your wall in the morning? Really?<em> This?</em>”</p><p>“Yes, Eir-kun, absolutely,” the sorcerer photographer swoons with a floating heart and a lovestruck thumbs-up, “girls would literally <em>die </em>to have your face on their walls.”</p><p>“I have never felt more uncomfortable by a job offer in my <em>life</em>,” Eir said.</p><p>“Of course, don’t worry,” the man raises an OK sign, indicating a pretty penny, “you’ll be compensated very, <em>very</em> well.”</p><p>Eir’s eyes glinted, instantly taken. “Take as many pictures as you want.”</p><p>In the corner, Gray facepalmed.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir spent the next few days with Gray.</p><p>It seems like there was a magical calamity in the outskirts of the West Forest, so Laxus and Cana were hanging out in one of the nearby guilds until the trouble was sorted out and the trains began to run again.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Master Roubaul has them, so I assure you, they’re in good hands,” Makarov had told him. Eir had no idea a guild called Caitshelter even existed, so he was not assured at all.</p><p>But he’ll trust that those two can handle themselves, to some degree. Maybe they’ll have another cake day, hm? Gildarts should be home soon too, if Gray’s report is any indicator.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>(“He got </b>
  <b>
    <em>arrested</em>
  </b>
  <b> and then flirted with the warden? You are </b>
  <b>
    <em>kidding</em>
  </b>
  <b>. I am going to </b>
  <b>
    <em>murder</em>
  </b>
  <b> him when he comes back, that useless old geezer, what the fu--”)</b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Seriously, fairies, lamias, pegasi, and now, cait siths. What is Fiore, a mythical creature compilation?” Gray asked, incredulous.</p><p>“We have mermaids, titans, phantoms and a cerberus, too,” Eir supplied, counting off his fingers. “We have a theme going on.”</p><p>“Then what about Circus Night?”</p><p>“We don’t talk about Circus Night.”</p><p> </p><p>It just happened to be the weekend, so Eir brought Gray along with him to Blue Pegasus, completing missions along the way and ending with a photoshoot. Again.</p><p>Classic Blue Pegasus weekend for Eir, though it’s still a strange experience for Gray.</p><p>It was such a strange thing to experience, and it was much beyond the levels of ‘culture shock’.</p><p> </p><p>“Gray.”</p><p>He looked up. “What?”</p><p>Eir was staring down at him, looking like he was considering his words quite carefully. “Well… I don’t know how to ask this. Where are your clothes?”</p><p>Gray freezes.</p><p>He looks down. “When--?!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe a wizard would take a job like this,” Gray muttered. He sat by the bar with Master Bob, enjoying a glass of juice as he waited.</p><p>He spent a while staring at Eir and his impressively professional modelling sessions.</p><p>The photographer was so excited Gray could swear the guy hyperventilated twice when Eir so much as <em>blinked</em> in the right direction-- eventually, Gray excused himself to get some juice out in the hall.</p><p> </p><p>It was interesting how vastly different this guild was in comparison to Fairy Tail-- this looked a lot like a wine bar or high-class club, while Fairy Tail looked like a drunkard’s cafeteria bar. It’s intriguing.</p><p>Luckily his juice was on the house, because everything on the menu looked more expensive than his life was worth.</p><p>In another stark contrast, everything in Fairy Tail was dirt cheap.</p><p> </p><p>“Now now, Gray dear,” Master Bob chided him for his disgruntled expression. “Ecchan’s doing his best, you see? Most of what he does may seem like strange vacations or hobbies, but it’s all work that’s important in the name of maintaining inter-guild relationships.”</p><p>Gray blinked confusedly at that.</p><p>“Maintaining guild relationships?” he asked. “...And, uh, ‘Ecchan’?”</p><p>“Of course,” Master Bob said, “it’s not at all common for other guilds to frequent our halls-- it’s usually seen as disloyal to your own guild if you’re not just here for specific purposes.”</p><p>Gray stiffens at that. “Wait, really?”</p><p>“Don’t worry, Gray dear. Ecchan’s been easing up the tensions these few years. It’s perfectly fine as long as you know your respect and boundaries,” Master Bob assured him. “Speaking of you, how did Macky-boy find you? You’re such a cutie! He beat me to the punch again, I’m rather devastated.”</p><p> </p><p>The more Master Bob spoke, the more Gray felt like he was being held under the eyes of a master gemstone inspector, surveying his very inch to assess the quality and-- well, Gray decided to hop off the chair and step away.</p><p> </p><p>“Master Bob, please, keep your eyes away from the kids.”</p><p>Eir stepped in front of Gray, setting a hand at the boy’s head as he casually slotted him behind his legs. Gray was surprised at first-- then he clung to those knees, because it was the best shield he had against Master Bob right now.</p><p>“I’m sure you’ll find yourself some cute boys one day. This guild already has a reputation for pretty faces,” Eir assured Master Bob with a neutral smile. “Maybe you can gather a bunch and make a hottie team with Ichiya as their head, y’know?”</p><p>“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea!” Master Bob swooned, “are you done with your photoshoot now?”</p><p>“No, I’m just taking a break while they look through the other shots.” Crisis successfully averted, Eir casually picked up Gray’s glass of juice from the counter and handed it back to the boy. “Where’s Karen, by the way?”</p><p>“Oh, Karen-dearie? What a shame, she’s gone on a job that’ll take another two days to return from,” Master Bob sighed, “she’ll be so disappointed she missed you.”</p><p>“That’s a shame,” Eir said, “I haven’t seen her in a while. Tell her I visited?”</p><p>“Of course I will,” Master Bob says. “That’s right-- you’re such a talented dearie-- what do you think of a full-time job as a host in our bar?”</p><p>“Don’t even <em>think</em> about it, Master Bob.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why don’t you do it, it’d be interesting,” Gray muttered.</p><p>“Why do all of my kids turn on me like this?” Eir threw his hands up into the air in defeat.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>They spent the night at Blue Pegasus, spent the morning getting dolled up for the journey, (“I’m keeping the jacket but I’m not modelling,” Gray insisted,) and then headed off toward the forests.</p><p>“So now it’s monster hunting?” Gray asked, tired now, “how long do your missions even last? How many did you even take?”</p><p>Eir tucked the job scroll into his bag, “about five to seven, usually. I took three this time because it’s the weekend. The whole photoshoot bullcrap wasn’t a job.”</p><p>“It wasn’t a job?!” Gray yelled, “what a waste of time!”</p><p>“Now, don’t be like that,” Eir put a hand on the boy’s head. “It might seem dumb, but it’s something that really helps to improve the guild’s public image. If I didn’t do this, they’d just think of wizards as a group of crazies that destroy things every once in a while.”</p><p>“Do you even <em>know </em>what they write about you in that magazine?”</p><p>“Oh Gray, why the hell would I expose myself to such a traumatizing piece of literature?”</p><p>“Oh, so you <em>do </em>know. Nevermind then.”</p><p> </p><p>They wandered around the forests, searching for Forest Rhinos. The request needed two of them for their horns, and it was just en route to the train station in Shirotsume.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a learning experience,” Eir told him, “if you’re tired, you could go on ahead of me to Shirotsume and rest in a cafe or something.”</p><p>“I’m <em>fine</em>,” Gray growled at him, though he was already hard of breath.</p><p>Eir chuckled. “Don’t worry, when you go on your own jobs, you can pace yourself much slower to start out.”</p><p>“I said I’m <em>fine</em>!”</p><p>Eir laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“EIR!!”</p><p> </p><p>Cana came shooting right in from literally nowhere, diving down from the trees and hooking right into Eir for a spinning hug.</p><p>Eir’s body moved before his mind, arms spreading to snatch her out of the air.</p><p>“We’re back!” Cana beams.</p><p>The girl’s arms around his neck and his hands around her waist a little tighter than necessary-- Eir finally remembered how to breathe.</p><p> </p><p>(Wow, his <em>life</em> flashed before his eyes. Magic or not, children are somehow suicidal potatoes in every world?)</p><p> </p><p>“I thought you guys were in the West Forest?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>And from beside them, another figure walked into view, heavy sack on his shoulders and a tired look on his face. “The magical barrier was removed this morning, and then I smelled you so. This is a detour.”</p><p>Eir considered Laxus, noting the fresh, tribal-looking clothing that replaced his usual shirt-and-trousers fashion. Oh, Cana looks adorable in this dress. Anyways.</p><p>“Should I be worried that your homing instinct leads you to me instead of the guild?”</p><p>“Don’t tell gramps, he’ll cry.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir found himself smiling fondly at that. Laxus smiled back with a contented sigh as Cana hummed a tune by their ears.</p><p>They hadn’t spoken since the whole thing with Ur.</p><p>And Eir wasn’t going to bring it up. He’s still an awful man at apologies and this delightful mood wasn't to be ruined today.</p><p> </p><p>“I should introduce you guys,” he turned to Gray, who had been stiffly half-hiding behind a tree the moment the two arrived.</p><p>At the look, the boy stepped out nervously, looking away defiantly like a kid begrudgingly being introduced to his mother’s friend’s children who he didn’t give a crap about.</p><p>Eir remembered his old urge to pinch that brat’s cheeks until he begged for forgiveness and felt the sudden tickle to try again. After all, Ur wasn’t here to stop him. Ur wouldn’t stop him, actually.</p><p>But he caught Laxus’ warning, judgemental, mind-reading look, and he held himself back with a tight blush and a sharp clearing of his throat.</p><p>“Cana and Laxus, meet Gray.”</p><p>He set Cana on the ground and put a hand on the boy’s head.</p><p>“Give the kid a warm Fairy Tail welcome, won’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Cana and Laxus shared a look.</p><p>“Just so you guys know, I was here first,” Laxus said immediately.</p><p>“And I was here second!” Cana established loudly. “So you’re number three, okay?”</p><p>Gray, having heard enough horror stories from Wakaba, immediately connected the dots in the situation and snapped, “DON’T RANK ME IN YOUR WEIRD HAREM!” </p><p>"Geez, Gray, don't call it a harem," Eir chided, "people with a lack of reading comprehension will wonder why this story's a pedophilic romance all of a sudden."</p><p>"The heck does that even mean?!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. harvest festival.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>X775 and life is going pretty well for Eir and his children.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gray’s jaw dropped.</p><p>“What is going on here?”</p><p>He entered Eir’s house, only to find Cana and Laxus in there, the girl half-dressed in oriental clothing.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>The year is X775, and Eir is sixteen.</b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Eir had his hair pulled back in a small ponytail, his sleeves rolled up, and he was struggling with Cana’s sleeve with a scowl on his face.</p><p>Biting a needle between his teeth, he had a few ball-headed pins tucked into his ponytail.</p><p> </p><p>Cana had the yukata over her usual dress for a fitting, and Eir was measuring the sleeve to readjust to her size. She was quite literally swimming through the fabric (the yukata was Enno’s,) but Eir was going to trim it to above her knees later.</p><p>Laxus was sitting by the couch and watching some nonsense outside the window. He was already back in his normal clothing, including his headphones. He was already as tall as Eir, so finding a fitting set of hakama for him on short notice really wasn’t that difficult.</p><p> </p><p>“Sit down, Gray. You’re going to participate in the Fantasia tomorrow too and I need to get your costume ready.”</p><p>“...The what?” Gray asked again, stepping back once from the door in case the crazy was infectious, “why are you guys dressed like that?”</p><p>“Why? Obviously because the Master heavily insisted for my parade float this year to be samurai-themed,” Eir explained, picking out a pin from his hair and tucking it into a certain spot on Cana’s sleeve as a marker to trim off later. “Remind me to punch Jura when I see him tomorrow.”</p><p>“I’m not following-- what parade?!” Gray asked.</p><p>Eir groaned. “You don’t know about the Magnolia Harvest Festival? Have you been living under a rock?” Then he froze. “Oh wait, you actually have. My bad.”</p><p>“HEY! Was that an insult?!”</p><p> </p><p>Laxus removed his headphones. “Eir, when are you going to get a haircut?” he asked, “you can even tie your hair back now. That’s pretty long for a guy.”</p><p>Eir snapped, “do I look like I have time for a goddamn haircut?!” He raised a needle-holding hand to point at the teenager. “And I’m already losing half my hair a day because of you three!”</p><p>“Really?” Laxus deadpans, “but you literally made the top rankings for ‘boys with the prettiest hair, which girls would love to have’ on last week’s Sorcerer.”</p><p>Eir instantly had goosebumps, shrinking away in disgust, reaching for his hair protectively. “What the fuck.”</p><p>Laxus blinked at him. “Yeah, you were second to Ichiya.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir felt a whole other range of shivers go down his spine, “maybe I'll cut my hair for the Fantasia, then...”</p><p>“Ehhhh?!” Cana whined loudly, “but long-haired samurais are the coolest! You can’t cut it! Keep it for the Fantasia please please please please please--”</p><p> </p><p>Eir drooped his head in defeat. If his hair wasn’t white already, he’d be getting gray hairs from all the stress of his kids anyways.</p><p> </p><p>“Is anyone going to tell me what the Fantasia is?!” Gray yelled.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, the other guilds are coming to watch,” Eir told them. “Plus that old guy from the key job, Duke Tabitha is bringing his daughter, and the Minister of Lupinus is bringing his family. There’s also that nomad in Hakobe and…”</p><p>Gray leaned a little closer to Laxus. “He sure knows a lot of important-sounding people…”</p><p>Cana chuckled nervously, “that’s Eir for you.”</p><p> </p><p>“So the VIP seats will have Master Bob, Master Goldmine, Grandma Ooba and.. and Master… huh?” Eir asked, pausing in his counting. Confused, he turns to the other teenager in the room. “Hey, Laxus, wasn’t there a guild based on cats?”</p><p>Laxus blinked. “It’s rare for you to forget about the guilds in Fiore. I thought you memorized them all to keep in contact?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir stood up quickly, reaching for the papers on his desk and scattering them around.</p><p>“Didn’t you guys go and meet them during the magic calamity around last year? It’s around the West Forest, isn’t it?” he said, a little frustrated-- why are his memories unclear? It’s never happened before. “Cats… I think it was called <em>Caitshelter</em>, wasn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>The answer he got was more confusion.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, Eir,” Laxus told him, turning to Cana, “I don’t really remember, but we spent the night at a deserted village near the barrier outpost. There was no guild there.”</p><p>“There’s a guild called Caitshelter?” Cana asked. “The West Forest is pretty rural, so do they get any good jobs out there?”</p><p>“So it’s a guild based on Cait Siths? Never heard of it,” Gray agreed. “In the first place, didn’t the magic calamity happen because there were no guild wizards around to do an emergency neutralization?”</p><p> </p><p>Eir swirled around in alarm.</p><p>“...Huh?!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>No, that doesn’t make sense!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>It’s one thing if he’d just misunderstood the existence of that guild, but he explicitly remembered mentioning it by name to Gray-- there’s no reason for Gray to have never heard of it…</p><p>“Ouch!”</p><p> </p><p>A spark of white lightning ignites by his ear, and he winces at the sudden, blasting pain that drove it way into his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Eir?”</p><p>“Eir!”</p><p> </p><p>He kept a hand at the pain. His ears were ringing, vision hazing-- he breathed out slowly and waited for it to clear.</p><p>(What was that?)</p><p>He felt Laxus take his hand away from his ear, pressing a warm towel on the injury-- <em>when did it start bleeding?</em> His hand was covered in it, and some of it had splashed onto his notes on the table.</p><p>(Shit.)</p><p>Gray was rushing around, folding Eir’s sleeve away from the blood and trying to clean up the blood on his hand before it spilled to the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“...Oh man, what a mess,” he muttered.</p><p>“What do you mean, WHAT A MESS?!” Cana was suddenly screaming, and Eir turned around to face the girl-- <em>why is she crying</em>-- suddenly she’s sticking her head out of the window. “Goodness. Hey, Reedus! Reeeedus!”</p><p>Eir found himself in the middle of an extended lecture about prompt reactions to injuries, and the phenomenon was dismissed as a part of his magic running wild. Porlyusica upped his dosage, and they let the matter die out in time for the hype of the Fantasia to go on.</p><p> </p><p>Eir didn’t sleep that night.</p><p>It was certainly a case of magic overload-- in some sense, that was true. But an unconsidered factor was that it wasn’t caused by his <em>own</em> magic.</p><p>Even for Eir, that magic power was on a whole other level.</p><p> </p><p>It had probably been invading his senses somehow, so his own magic power rejected it, causing the discharge.</p><p>Is there anyone in the world that could affect the memory and magic flow of an entire kingdom of people at once? He didn’t think that was possible.</p><p>(It had something to do with that guild, didn’t it?)</p><p>(The one they were talking about...)</p><p> </p><p>“Huh...?”</p><p>He held his head, his skull thrumming with the rumbles of a dull ache.</p><p>“...<em>what </em>guild?”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Eir, what the hell is that?”</p><p>The teenager brushed his bangs to the back of his head with a sigh.</p><p>“It’s obviously fanservice, Wakaba.”</p><p> </p><p>Hair styled and pulled back, and a loose hakama with the front worn loose. It was a sheer white lined generously with light blue, tied together with a scarlet sash to match his hair tie.</p><p>His chest was almost fully exposed, and that was clearly the intention.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh lord. Macao, Eir’s been corrupted by Pegasus!” Wakaba responds dramatically, “he’s been <em>tainted, </em>just look at him!”</p><p>Macao fake sobs, “you were once so <em>cute</em> and pure and <em>little</em>. Look at you now!” he cries in very false horror.</p><p>“Wha-- wear that properly!” Laxus marched up to him, grabbing the front of hakama to close it over his chest, “you’re going to look sleazy!”</p><p>Eir grumbled something under his breath. “But Master Bob always tells me that the crowd likes it better when I act sleazy.”</p><p>Laxus stared. Then immediately, “GRAMPS! Eir got corrupted!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Looking good, Eir.”</p><p>Eir paused in the middle of tying Cana’s obi, turning to the newcomer.</p><p>“Oh, Jura-san!” Cana greeted cheerfully.</p><p> </p><p>Jura was at the doorway, dressed in his usual hakama. It may have been a usual thing, but Eir only felt murderous intent rise at the sight of it.</p><p>“Hm, so you guys <em>did</em> go for a samurai theme,” Jura sounded pleased, “I’m sure it was tough to get everything ready on such short notice. Did you hear that it was my suggestion?” he smiled like a proud dad, like he didn’t just cause Eir a week of severe insomnia and overworking flashbacks or something.</p><p>Eir felt his killing intent spike.</p><p> </p><p>So Eir calmly pinned Cana’s sash in place, got up-- and retrieved his sword at the side, a dark look on his face and his magic swirling in scuttering gales around him.</p><p>Laxus straightened from his spot under the bar, his hypersensitive <b>Eir-is-doing-something-stupid-again</b> instincts suddenly activated. His head spun around rapidly for a long while, trying to locate the source of this horrendously bad feeling in his gut.</p><p> </p><p>He spotted Jura-- instantly located Eir-- and did a double take.</p><p>Then “wait no! Eir! NO!”</p><p> </p><p>(Wow, that’s nostalgic.)</p><p> </p><p>Eir had Jura by the collar and he was swearing in all languages that didn’t exist, pointing his sword at the earth mage that just laughed nonchalantly.</p><p>Laxus barely got between them to push them away from each other, confiscating the damn sword as he did so. It’s a good thing that Laxus was now a little taller than Eir, though Eir begs to differ.</p><p>“Eir, no biting people! STOP!”</p><p>“Laxus, I’m sure he won’t die if I just stab him once or twice! Let me maul him once!”</p><p>“NO!”</p><p> </p><p>Jura laughed.</p><p>“Seems I’ve caused you trouble, Eir!” Jura patted the teenager on the head, the latter still seething to this minute. “Here’s my compensation.”</p><p> </p><p>Needless to say, Eir was pretty surprised to receive a sheathed katana.</p><p>“Got that at my previous job, thought it’d suit you.”</p><p>Laxus removed his grip on Eir, leaning over his shoulder to get a closer look. Cana came up on the other side, peeking over Eir’s side.</p><p> </p><p>Eir inspected the white handle. It was wrapped in blue, woven with silver. He drew the blade out of its sheathe-- and the ridge was a delicate wave, the blade shimmering in just the slightest whisper of blue against the lighting.</p><p>His breath held.</p><p>He adjusted his grip, thumbing the guard, and checking it length against his other arm. Holding it against the light, he admired the curvature and the sheen.</p><p>His verdict?</p><p>“...It’s beautiful.”</p><p> </p><p>The scabbard is white. The cord tied around the base is silver, ending with a black, musical-shaped ornament.</p><p>...That’s a little out of place. Ah well.</p><p> </p><p>Eir looked at Jura to find the man grinning widely like a smug bastard-- and he jumped, turning around as his cheeks heat up. Quickly, he sheathed the sword and crossed his arms with a defiant huff.</p><p>“I guess you’re forgiven, then,” he said in a pointed manner, “just this once.”</p><p>Jura smiled, like the opportunistic asshole he was. “I’m glad you liked it! A samurai needs a sword, after all,” he said, “it’s also made with a magical steel, so if you apply magical power in the right places, I’ve heard it’s capable of transforming into a spear.”</p><p><em>That</em> drew Eir’s attention further. </p><p>He swirled back around with the most excited glint in his gaze. “Really?!”</p><p> </p><p>Laxus looked tired at this point.</p><p> </p><p>“Dear god, he hasn’t been this happy in a while,” Macao muttered. “First he gets happy when he finds a kid, now he gets happy when he’s given a <em>sword</em>? Can he act like a normal kid for once?”</p><p>Beside him, Wakaba was working on Gray’s hair, chuckling nervously. “I mean, if you look at it in a certain way, he’s definitely acting like a kid now. Look at him, he’s <em>sparkling</em>.”</p><p>“Are people supposed to sparkle like that?”</p><p>“Don’t question it, it’s for the effect.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. side quests.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Holy crap, I can’t find Sorcerer anywhere.”</p><p>“Really, that’s weird.” Eir said, reading an issue of the magazine. Cana was sitting in his lap on the table, and he had a cookie in his mouth as they looked through the photo spreads together. “Oh look, Cana, you're in the corner of that picture.”</p><p>“How the hell did you find one?” Wakaba swirled on them, “I get it now! It’s because it’s the Fantasia issue but for some reason YOU'RE IN THE SPOTLIGHT! Damn that Jason!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir hummed.</p><p>“What’s he so angry about?” he wondered.</p><p> </p><p>Cana leaned over the table “Look, this entire page is dedicated to our float!”</p><p>Eir rested his elbow on the table and his cheek at the back of his hand. “Hm? There’s confetti in your hair in this picture.”</p><p>“Oh, there’s a picture of me here too…” Cana turned with interest. Then she snaps, shoving her hand into Eir’s face, “stop looking for me! Look at yourself! You’re literally the main model of this issue but you’re ignoring it!”</p><p>“Ah man, I wanna cut my hair.”</p><p>“Don’t change the subject!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Gray and Laxus seemed to get along pretty well-- at least, outside of missions.</p><p>“He’s in the way,” Laxus said, promptly depositing a scratched-up Gray on the bench beside Eir.</p><p>Eir glanced over, eyes leaving his sword for a moment before going back to it. He was seated on a mat on the ground, cleaning the blade-- at the interruption, he set down the cotton and the cloth and sheathed the sword again.</p><p>“Mission didn’t go well?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>And immediately, both of them exploded.</p><p> </p><p>“He sent his thunder down right where I was!” Gray pointed sharply, “this is mutiny! Mutiny, I’m saying!!”</p><p>“I told him to stay at a range! But then he jumped into the fray!” Laxus yelled.</p><p>“I was dodging an attack, you ass!”</p><p>“That’s why I told you to put up a damn shield!”</p><p>“They’re not permanent! I don't have infinite magical power!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir took a sip of his tea, wondering how to go about this problem. It’s not like there would be an issue in the long term-- they just shouldn’t join the same team, that’s all.</p><p>“Then why don’t we go on a mission together?” Eir suggested.</p><p> </p><p>Immediately, they leapt.</p><p>“Together?!”</p><p>“Now?!”</p><p>“Wait!” Cana hopped at them, slamming her hands against the table, “no fair! If you’re going with Eir, I’m going too!”</p><p>“No, it’s crowded already!” Gray points at her, “we don’t need a girl!”</p><p>“Better a girl than a stripper,” Laxus muttered.</p><p>“Better a stripper than a comrade shooter, you rabid lightning bolt!” Gray yells.</p><p>“You sexist jerks!” Cana interrupts, “I’m strong too!”</p><p>“Be quiet, Cana!”</p><p>“Put on some clothes, Gray!”</p><p> </p><p>Eir sipped his tea again. Well, that solved nothing.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>For the first time in a while, they’re in Onibus, enjoying themselves on a series of calm jobs as a guild.</p><p>“Then, Cana and Gray, can you go to the library?”</p><p>Eir put down his bag outside the station, resting it on his foot as he retrieved the mission scrolls to distribute them.</p><p>“Cana can work on the decoding mission. Remember not to read anything out loud, alright? And Gray can pick up the cursed grimoires for the delivery mission.”</p><p>“Okay!” they chorused.</p><p> </p><p>And in unison, the start racing, magnificently scrambling across food stalls on their violent little race to their destination. Other than a poor cabbage stall, there were no other victims.</p><p> </p><p>Then Eir turned to Laxus, holding up two more mission scrolls.</p><p>“Would you rather identify an orphaned child on the streets or investigate the haunted doll of Luruluk Mansion?” he asked, a smile curving at his lips.</p><p>“The haunted doll, obviously,” Laxus snatched it with a scoff, “stealing kids is <em>your</em> job.”</p><p>“I don’t steal kids,” Eir said firmly. “I’m just grabbing the kid so he can be settled into an orphanage instead of hurting people for food.”</p><p>“Same thing.”</p><p>“No it isn’t.”</p><p>“Whatever you say, dad.”</p><p>”What is this, your rebellious phase?”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>With Eir’s luck, he probably should expect a new kid to pop up by the end of this. If he’s lucky, he’ll be able to pawn it off to one of the other guilds. There needs to be a nice ratio of next generation mages, after all.</p><p>(And he’s going to call it part of his ambassador duties.)</p><p> </p><p>He shifted across the crowd, listening for clues of the magic-wielding orphan that has been wandering the area recently. According to the request form, they use wind magic, so that’s a nice coincidence.</p><p>Eir perused the paper in his hands, burning the little description of his target into his head.</p><p><em>So he’s small, probably eleven or twelve, and his general appearance is only described as ‘dark’.</em>  <em>Isn't that racis-- nevermind, it's a fantasy world</em>. </p><p> </p><p>Eir hummed, reaching for his cookies-- and wait. It’s gone.</p><p>Shit.</p><p> </p><p>He looked around quickly and-- in a far part of the market, he found a little mop of black hair sliding into the distance.</p><p>Oh, shit. He’s a pickpocket too?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Gray made it to the library a second before Cana, and of course, he raises his arms and declares it to the world.</p><p>“Yes! I got here first!”</p><p>And Cana smacked him over the head with her handbag.</p><p> </p><p>Then, like the expert asshole she is, she fixes her hair in the mirror and marches into the library with a pleasant smile on her face.</p><p>Gray bolts up screaming, “Cana dammit!” only to get shushed by the people in the library.</p><p>“And put your jacket back on before you come in!”</p><p>“Huh-- wait, when did it?!”</p><p> </p><p>They reach the counter and hand in their scrolls to the lady worker at the front desk. Gray was still glaring poutingly at Cana who was probably aware of it but chose to ignore it.</p><p>“Alright. Gray-kun and Cana-chan, right?” the worker says, “the grimoires are in the back. Please follow me.”</p><p>Trying to be as quiet as they can, they were led through the library, past the countless number of bookshelves, and up a floor to a room near the back door.</p><p> </p><p>“So Cana-chan, you can read Castor?” the lady asks as she closes the door and straps on some gloves at the side.</p><p>Cana beamed, “yes!” she holds up her stack of tarot cards, “I read fortunes, so celestial and divinity language is part of my magical studies.”</p><p>Gray scoffed, “show-off.”</p><p> </p><p>Cana nailed him in the shin, and Gray yelps.</p><p> </p><p>“Here, Gray-kun. The grimoires inside this case will cast a random spell on you when you touch it, so we need to send them to a technician down the road to fix that,” the lady explains. “I can lend you some gloves.”</p><p>She gestured to a glass safe filled with slightly glowing books.</p><p>Gray cracked his knuckles before setting his fist atop of his palm. “Ice Make: Cage!”</p><p>The magic circle surrounded them, ice crystalizing from the vapour in the air and taking form as a very unnecessarily intricate prison.</p><p>“I can transport it without touching it like this, so,” he turned to the lady, setting a hand on the ice cage. “Hey miss, do you have a trolley I could borrow?”</p><p>The lady hummed, impressed by the ice magic. “I’m sure we have one downstairs.”</p><p>Cana looked up from her book. “Uhm, Gray? Can’t you just make some wheels with ice?”</p><p>Pause.</p><p>Then, “Oh, right! I can!”</p><p>“Are you an idiot?!”</p><p>“Shut up!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Laxus was regretting his decision.</p><p>The haunted dolls were leaps better than chasing a kid across town, but it’s still a <em>haunted doll</em> case. It’s way out of his element and he had no idea what to do about haunted dolls in this day and age.</p><p> </p><p>(Why didn’t the requester just call an exorcist?)</p><p> </p><p>And it was an antique store, which screamed haunted house vibes.</p><p>Laxus kept his arms tucked before him, resisting the urge to pull up his headphone and blast some rock music to distract himself.</p><p>After all, he needed his ears for a ghost case.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“Heeheh.”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>  </b>
</p><p>Laxus pulled out his sword immediately, swinging it to the side and-- of course, nothing’s there. Curses, there’s not enough light in here.</p><p>He had asked for more lights to be on, but there were only creepy orange lights because this was an antique store and they needed to sustain the ambience or something…</p><p>Dear lord, this is so creepy he’s getting goosebumps.</p><p> </p><p>The requester (shopkeeper) went out after sending him in because he ‘didn’t want to interfere with a mage’s work’ or something. Laxus wished he stayed here if only to make sure Laxus wasn’t going crazy.</p><p>(He's not scared. Ghosts aren’t real, okay.)</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“Hey, hey…”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>  </b>
</p><p>He spun around immediately. The laughter echoed in the small room, no longer hiding. A shadow moved to the left, but the giggles were from the right.</p><p>The antique doll falls off the shelf.</p><p>Behind him in his reflection, a pair of glowing green eyes shone in the darkness, seemingly belonging to no one.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“Hehehee…”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>  </b>
</p><p>And that’s it.</p><p> </p><p>Laxus spun right around with a lightning coated fist.</p><p>“<em>Lightning Dragon’s</em> GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. like father...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>to those that are confused, it's not gajeel or rogue-- we're still in x775!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There’s an explosion in the distance.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no.”</p><p>Eir had finally managed to grab the little tyke by the scruff, but the loud noise made him turn his head with a grimace.</p><p>“Let go of me!”</p><p>Eir lifted the boy by the back of his collar, frowning. He’s thin, grubby, definitely an orphan-- he didn’t look much older than Gray.</p><p><em>Hm? It looked black</em>, but his hair was actually just really dark brown. <em>That’s pretty.</em></p><p>“Kid. How old are you?” Eir said, catching the boy’s attention.</p><p>The kid tutted, evidently uninterested in small talk. He spun around, a yellow magic circle blooming from his wrist, gleaming like a ball of congested zephyrs before striking the ground hard enough to shatter.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Aerial Shot!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>And it went for Eir, slicing right through the boy’s clothing, shredding through Eir’s-- and slicing through skin.</p><p>In his surprise, his grip loosened.</p><p> </p><p>The boy landed on all fours, still clutching the pouch of cookies. But this time, he had also gotten Eir’s wallet between his teeth.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Aerial Shot!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>Eir raised his arms up to protect his eyes from the next surge of wind and rubble-- but once it quelled, the boy was long gone.</p><p>He swore under his breath. That little brat.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, you alright? You’re bleeding,” a shopkeeper to the side called out to him.</p><p>Right, they’re still in the middle of the road.</p><p>Eir grimaced-- his clothes were cut, a few scrapes bleeding. He’s not too sure about anywhere else, but he knows his cheek stings a little, too.</p><p>He rubs it over with his hand and frowns. Smearing it against his coat-- oh good, he’s wearing dark blue today, that shouldn’t stand out too much.</p><p>“Don’t wipe that!” the watermelon vendor yelled.</p><p>But anyways. “Did you see where the tiny dark kid went?”</p><p>“Could you worry more about your own wounds?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Right, right,” Eir dismisses. Somehow, he feels like he’s forgotten something...</p><p>And right on cue, another explosion sounds in the distance.</p><p>He hears the familiar crackle of thunder residue and he doesn’t look over. He has a very strange hunch that it came from the library.</p><p>But no, no, he’s not going to look over there.</p><p>He does not see it.</p><p>He does <em>not</em>.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Cana wants wind-reading glasses, because this is a lot to read. The translation is easy enough, it’s the sheer amount of it that makes it tedious.</p><p>Then there’s a familiar, crackle-sound rumble in the distance, and the panicked crowd wailing of what was most probably a…</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>BOOM!!</em>
  </b>
</p><p>...explosion. Yeah.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a surprised squeak behind her, and she quickly turned around to something-- probably a book-- clattering against the floor.</p><p>(This is the restricted area with only magic books. No one is supposed to be here.)</p><p>Cana scrambled down, reaching for the smoking pipe in her purse. She had nabbed it away from Wakaba yesterday in an attempt to make him stop smoking and hadn’t returned it yet.</p><p>She holds it in one hand, and retrieves three cards to hold in her other.</p><p> </p><p>“Who’s there?” she called, hoping no one answered her.</p><p>
  <em>Is it a thief? A mouse?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Another startled squeak-- this time, Cana realized it sounded distinctly like an ‘oh no!’-- and something crashes against the wall shelf, and a horde of books topple on them all.</p><p>Cana had a second to watch her life flash before her eyes before the books were coming at her. No, at <em>them</em>. She finally sees the second little girl in the room, and it’s a little girl with blue hair that’s much smaller than Cana herself.</p><p>Unlike Cana, that girl might actually die from getting buried under books. Maybe. Probably. Look, those books are heavy and hardcover, okay.</p><p>So logically, she panics.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh--!!”</p><p> </p><p>Cana only has two things she can use, and one of them is a useless stick. So of course the only logical thing to do is in her other hand.</p><p><b><em>“Heaven, Reverse Death, Mountain!”</em></b> she declares, the cards in her hands glowing, <b><em>“Summoned Lightning!”</em></b></p><p>Cue explosion.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“You fucking BRAT!”</p><p>Is the first thing Gray heard upon running toward the first site of explosion. It was the antique store Laxus went to, so he just went to check it out.</p><p>And Laxus is livid.</p><p>They’re covered in smoke and rubble and probably splinters as well, the entire shopfront is in pieces. The shopkeeper is crying.</p><p>“Hehehah! You should’ve seen your own face!”</p><p>Gray found Laxus yelling at a teenager he hasn't met before.</p><p> </p><p>Blue hair just a shade brighter than Gray’s own-- and a strange, stickman-looking tattoo splayed out on the bridge of his nose.</p><p>He looked pretty damn blasted. Like he’d taken the lightning bolt firsthand and survived just to keep laughing at Laxus.</p><p> </p><p>“Look, you!” Laxus finally threw his arms up in defeat. “You’re causing trouble for the shopkeeper. Don’t got anywhere better to be?”</p><p>“I’ve been living here for a couple months.”</p><p>“A couple <em>what</em>-- nevermind,” Laxus groaned, grabbing him by the elbow and hightailing right out. They pass the shopkeeper (who still has his jaw dropped) on their way out, and Laxus saluted curtly. “Sorry about the noise sir. Send the bill to gramps.”</p><p>“My- M- my… shop…front...”</p><p>Gray winced empathetically. It’s a complete wreck-- and for some reason, he can faintly remember that one time Ur got angry at him for turning a guy’s car into an icicle. Ur didn’t have the money to compensate for that nonsense.</p><p>Well, let’s hope Eir has enough money to compensate for it.</p><p> </p><p>“EHhh where’s we going?” the weird boy whined, “ah wait, can’t leave my babies behind.”</p><p>Gray squeaked when an antique china doll came floating after them, all poltergeist-like. It even turned to look at him and Gray did <em>not</em> whimper at the sight of it.</p><p>“Leave it behind! They belong to the shop owner!!” Laxus snapped.</p><p>Then Laxus noticed Gray in the corner. His hand still lugging the boy like a sack of flour, he made his way over.</p><p>“What’re you doing there, Gray?”</p><p> </p><p>The doll followed him with a porcelain smile</p><p>Gray shrieked, “<b><em>Ice Make</em></b>--!!”</p><p>“MY BABY!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The library was on fire, the antique store was trashed in a charred and frozen mess, and all of the children looked like they just survived a bonfire then went through a shredder machine and got blow-dried.</p><p>Including Eir himself.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, Eir was the only one with bleeding wounds. The rest of them looked a bit disheveled or slightly burned, but nothing a bit of salve can’t fix.</p><p>“Stop struggling already,” Eir chided the boy he was holding under his arm.</p><p>The boy retaliated with a mighty chomp on the offending arm. Eir didn’t entertain him with a response. It’s kinda like holding an angry dog and you’ve already resigned yourself to the rabies shots after this.</p><p>Well, this one aside, he had to wonder about the other new kids in the group.</p><p> </p><p>Cana was holding hands with a petite, blue-haired girl. She was sniffling, her clothes were dusty and worn out, and she had a book clutched to her chest.</p><p>And then there’s the teenager that Laxus brought in.</p><p>Laxus had yelled something about handing him in to the council for mischief, but he was crying mournfully about a baby, so they’ve put that issue aside for now.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(How exactly did he manage to come with three children and get three more?)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“How do I say this…” Eir muttered grimly, pointing in the general direction of the smoke and water mages in the distance, “uh. Don’t do all this again, okay?”</p><p>Almost simultaneously, they started yelling at Eir and each other. And the noise is twice as loud because apparently the children all found themselves a mini.</p><p> </p><p>“What else was I supposed to do? Levy almost got hurt!”</p><p>“It’s not my fault, that doll was freaky!”</p><p>“He deserved it! Look, he’s not even <em>that</em> badly hurt!”</p><p>“My babies… my poor babies…”</p><p>“Uhm... am I… should I return this book?”</p><p>“Let go of me!!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Father lord of all that is holy above, please grant me the patience to not spontaneously commit mass murder right here.</em>
</p><p>“Look at you guys, I’m so exasperated I started praying,” Eir sighed, nursing a newfound headache. “And I’m an atheist.”</p><p>Anyways.</p><p> </p><p>“Enough!” Eir clapped his hands to catch their attention. “We can’t get on a train like this. We need a bath and a change of clothes...”</p><p>Someone in the distance screamed.</p><p>All of the children stare up at him.</p><p>Eir cleared his throat. “...But first, let’s run.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. little joys.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>put a feral child in a suit and you'll get a hottie! Yep, it's Ren Akatsuki, the dark-skinned Tsundere playboy of the Trimens. The next chapter will bring our kids back home, and that will draw X775 to a close. </p><p>As a reminder, we are still in x775! haha. x776 is when Erza comes into the picture owo</p><p>Anyways, love you guys with all my heart, thanks for reading, have a virtual hug, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They made it to Hosenka in about a ten minute full sprint for freedom.</p><p>It was running into the evening, so Eir got them a room at the inn and ushered the children to the bathhouse.</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon Bickslow, stop crying,” Laxus tugged the teenager away with him. “Gray hurry up alr-- don’t strip here!”</p><p>“My babies…”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah!” Gray scampered after him, carrying a stack of the provided kimono in his arms, kicking off his jeans and shrugging off his jacket, leaving his boxers on, why are you stripping, “Eir, you coming?”</p><p>“In a second,” Eir gestured for them to go on ahead of him. He turned to the two girls, “Cana, be the big sister and take care of Levy, okay?”</p><p>“I will!” And Cana beams up at him, her hand still in Levy’s.</p><p>Levy nodded shyly, setting her book down carefully at the side and out of the way. She gave a hasty bow of thanks before Cana dragged her off.</p><p> </p><p>And now, all that was left in the room was Eir and their little thieving orphan boy.</p><p>“I already apologized!” the little angry dark-haired child snapped for about the hundredth time, “enough of this nonsense and let me go!”</p><p>“Stop whining already,” Eir jabbed the boy in the head. “It’s a free bath and place to sleep for the night. Just enjoy it.”</p><p>Eir didn’t want to put him down. He might just run off and they’ll have to chase him again.</p><p>“You from the local orphanage?” he prompted instead.</p><p>And the boy stiffened. He turned away with a huff, “no.”</p><p><em>Well, that’s obviously a lie.</em> Eir set down the pouch of cookies to the side, somewhere high. He unclasped his sword from his belt and set it by the door.</p><p>“Well, me too,” Eir offered obscurely. “My name’s Eir. You?”</p><p>“None of your business.”</p><p>“Alright,” he hummed. “You use air magic? I do too.”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir found this rather nostalgic. Children were always little shits-- it’s surprising how little trouble he’s had with the others. So this kid is a nice breath of fresh air, no pun intended.</p><p>“Well, you’re pretty strong. Have you been scouted for a guild yet?”</p><p>And this made the kid do a double take. “What?”</p><p>“Like the other kids you saw,” Eir smiled at him. “They’re all part of my guild. We’re learning magic, earning our own money, and doing honest work now.”</p><p>He tutted. “Honest work my ass--”</p><p>Eir let him escape, landing with a crouch on the ground. He stood up confrontationally, glare set on his features.</p><p>“Enough of this dumb family game!” he snapped. “I gave your things back! That’s enough, right? I’m gonna go.”</p><p>And he marched away with a huff.</p><p> </p><p>“No.” Eir snagged him by the scruff, and the boy tripped over his own feet. He got paid to get this kid off the streets. He ain’t letting the kid go back, that’s bad work culture.</p><p>“What the hell do you want?!” he shrieked this time, absolutely ruffled, evidently at the end of his patience. They’re indoors, which is probably why he wasn’t shooting magic power around yet.</p><p>Eir blinked at him.</p><p>“Well…” he leaned down a little, contemplatively. “I just thought that… maybe you’d look good in a suit.”</p><p>“HUH?!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Laxus made it back to the room with a contented sigh.</p><p>He’s tired already. Time to call Gramps and tell him they were staying outside for the night… wait.</p><p>Sitting on the counter, defenseless and exposed to the world-- were Eir pouch of cookies.</p><p>He picked them up, hiding them in his sleeve. </p><p>“We have new guys over, so he should know better than to leave these out… wait.”</p><p>He looked around. His sword was here, as well as Eir’s katana… but the person himself wasn’t here. They didn’t pass him on the way back from the baths either.</p><p> </p><p>“...Where did they go?”</p><p> </p><p>He surveyed the area for traces of wind damage-- none. Which meant that Eir willingly walked the kid out to somewhere.</p><p>He sighed. Well, guess that’s one second of peace and--</p><p>“Laxus, Bickslow found another doll! Stop him!”</p><p>--he spoke too soon.</p><p>“Baby, babies!” a blue figure flitted past the door, dashing like an absolute menace with a shit-eating grin on his face. A rubber ducky floated after him, and Gray was screaming in chase, his yukata still half on.</p><p>Oh, damn it.</p><p>“Bicks! GET BACK HERE!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Yes! Eir-kun, one step to the left-- Oh, yes! Ren-kun, look to the side for a second. AHhh! I have been blessed. I have been <em>blessed!</em>”</p><p>The photographer-- Monsieur Johnny-- would probably get a heart attack soon.</p><p>They were in the Vandalay clothing store, Hosenka branch. They were long past closing hours, but one doorbell ring and one polite request later, the parlor is open for them.</p><p>It didn’t matter if there was a scheduled shoot that day, the ecstatic owner of the shop just wanted photos whenever he could, every day. Free material for the next issue, after all.</p><p> </p><p>(Eir only willingly walked in here because, hey, an hour of suffering for free clothes.)</p><p>And it wasn’t exactly<em> bad</em> suffering either. It’s like going to a beauty salon and getting a session, and it’s all free after you let them take some pictures.</p><p> </p><p>“AHhh I love it!” Monsieur clasped his hands together and all but squeals in delight, “the stunning contrast of black and white, tan and pale! Two cool beauties on opposite ends of the spectrum! I HAVE to tell Master Bob about this!”</p><p>Eir sighed. He’s going to hyperventilate soon, so he should probably stop…</p><p>Eir caught sight of Ren-- <em><b>Akatsuki Ren</b></em>, the boy had given out his name in a startled impulse when Monsieur prompted-- and he was staring at himself in an almost fascinated way.</p><p>He felt the crease of his perfectly ironed clothing-- it’s a little warm and crisp, and he’d probably never worn clothes as new as this before.</p><p>(And Eir completely understood that feeling.)</p><p> </p><p>They’d scrubbed off the grime and styled his hair, did his makeup and fit him in a tailored suit. Eir’s eyes weren’t deceiving him-- the boy looked like total eye candy once you cleaned him up and pulled that grimace out of his face.</p><p>And most surprising of all, once they got him prepped and ready, it only took him two shots to get into the flow of their photoshoot.</p><p>They struck poses like second nature, coordinating comfortably in their individually offish manner. And Ren was a complete natural at it, if Eir could say so himself.</p><p> </p><p>Ren flinched when he realized Eir was staring at him.</p><p>Quickly, he turned away. “D- Don’t misunderstand! These clothes are nice, but they're uncomfortable, okay? I’m gonna take them off once we’re done!”</p><p>
  <em>(“Oh, so you’re keeping them on for now.” Eir doesn’t say.)</em>
</p><p>Eir thought his ears, which were flushed red in contrast to his vehement denial, were absolutely adorable.</p><p>“Okay, next pose!”</p><p>And Ren immediately straightened to attention, hand held out before him, eyes sharpened cooly. Eir simply turned to the camera with a smile he couldn’t quite suppress.</p><p> </p><p>Monsieur exploded with glee again, and Ren jolted, as if he’d just realized what he’d done.</p><p>He immediately exploded, “Wait,” he’s blushing full on now. “D- Don’t get it wrong! It’s not like I’m doing this because I think it’s kinda cool, okay? I’m not!”</p><p>(Eir felt an arrow shoot through his heart, but he kept his straight face on.)</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a relief,” he says, reaching over to pat the boy on the head, ignoring the camera flash. “You’re so in your element here, I think you’ll fit right in with Blue Pegasus.”</p><p>“I just SAID I don’t-- HANDS OFF!”</p><p>“Hey Monsieur, can I bring my other kids over tomorrow morning for a makeover too?”</p><p>“Of course!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Laxus finally managed to nab Bickslow by the scruff and sit him down in the room in all his crybaby glory again.</p><p>Gray had gone to return the rubber ducky, and the girls weren’t back yet.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t get it, if I don’t get him a vessel, he won’t shut up!” he whined, hands over his ears and eyes squeezed shut.</p><p>That made Laxus raise an eyebrow. </p><p>“Wait, what <em>is</em> your magic?” he asked, because suddenly that seemed much more important than before.</p><p>And Bickslow went quiet.</p><p>“I… don’t know, really,” he admitted, looking away. “I only got it a while ago.”</p><p><em>Ah, shucks.</em> “From the antique store or before that?” Laxus prompted instead, knowing exactly where this was going. He’d faced it firsthand, after all.</p><p>“Before that. I went to the store because of it,” Bickslow told him.</p><p>“Lacrima?”</p><p>“Runes.”</p><p> </p><p>(Oh, he didn’t know that was possible.)</p><p> </p><p>Laxus rested his arm over the window, leaning his chin into his hand with a sigh. “And? What does it do?” he asked.</p><p>When Bickslow gave him a surprised look, he returned it with a neutral side glance. The younger boy settled against the wall, looking at the ground.</p><p>“Well I… hear things,” he said, almost nervously. “And see things.”</p><p> </p><p>He spoke in a tone that expected some sort of backlash. Like claims of hallucinations or mental illness of some sort.</p><p>But Laxus knew better than that.</p><p> </p><p>“Do they try to hurt you?” he asked. "The <em>things.</em>"</p><p>“Huh?” Bickslow looked up, taken aback. “Uh.. not really. They’re just… really annoying. But only the few that cling to me.”</p><p>“They cling to you? Why?” Laxus turned around, “are more going to come? How many are there now?”</p><p>“Oh, uh-- I accidentally talk to one sometimes. And then they don’t go away,” Bickslow tells him. “There’s only one-- oh, another one just showed up. Two, now.”</p><p>“And they’re noisy.”</p><p>“They keep crying.”</p><p> </p><p>Laxus eyed Bickslow, wondering if that was why <em>he</em> kept crying too. Because the spirits weren’t just talking to him, they were empathizing with him, pouring their hearts into his psyche, and it was affecting him more than just mentally.</p><p>(Magic of spite is often stronger when the caster is dead.)</p><p>(Spirits, that are magical in form, must work the same way.)</p><p>Laxus sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m back. Huh? Where’s Eir?” Gray entered the room with an extra pillow under his arm. He saw them in a corner and flinched. “Uhm. Am I interrupting something?”</p><p>“No, no,” Laxus gets up from his spot. “Could you stay with him? I need to drop by the reception for a sec.”</p><p>Gray gaped. “Wait, I don’t wanna!”</p><p>And Laxus walked out, closing the door behind him.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Gray turned around and met Bickslow in the eyes.</p><p>They gleaned green for half a second before they synchronously recoiled in surprise.</p><p>“Why did they glow!?”</p><p>“Don’t look into my eyes!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Laxus came back into Bickslow and Gray having ice around their heads, wrapped like eye masks.</p><p>They were seated face to face, and Bickslow was in the process of emulating some angry beast when Laxus returned.</p><p> </p><p>“Uhm, isn’t that cold?” Laxus asked, referring to the ice bandannas they were so naturally wearing. Is it okay for people to freeze their eyes like that? Why aren’t either of them screaming their heads off from frostbite?</p><p>“Bickslow has this weird eye magic that lets him possess people, and I can’t talk to people without looking at their eyes, so we compromised,” is Gray’s very matter-of-fact answer.</p><p>“One hell of a compromise there,” Laxus closed the door behind him. “Are the girls not back yet?”</p><p>“They went to the reading area downstairs,” Bickslow informed.</p><p> </p><p>Laxus hummed at that. So Eir wasn’t back yet either. He tossed four objects at the younger boys in the room, who raised their arms to catch two each.</p><p>Gray’s first to study them. “Are these totems?” he noticed, looking for differences in the two wooden dolls in his hand, comparing them to Bickslow’s. “I remember seeing some of these in Isvan.”</p><p>Bickslow stared at them with interest. “They’re small and cute.”</p><p>“And very portable,” Laxus added. “They’re from the souvenir shop. You can use them as your dolls, right? They ‘re not as pretty as the ones you’ve chosen thus far but--”</p><p>Laxus trailed off when he saw how genuinely enamored Bickslow looked.</p><p> </p><p>He squealed at the sight of them, arranging them like a child would play with blocks. </p><p>Gray removed the ice mask from his eyes and immediately, two totems begin to glow slightly green, floating off and dancing, drawing pictures in the air.</p><p>“WOoooah!” Gray was apparently not as creeped out when they were in that little wooden form. “It’s like telekinesis! That’s so cool!”</p><p><b>“Cute! Cute!”</b> the dolls chanted, dancing in circles around them. <b>“Cool! Cool!”</b></p><p>
  
</p><p>Laxus couldn’t tear his eyes away from the adorable joy that was emanating from the boy. He had on the happiest grin in the world.</p><p>“My babies!” Bickslow cheered, “they’re perfect! I love them, Laxus. Thanks!”</p><p>Laxus just sighed contentedly, unable to keep off the slight smile that perked at the edges of his lips. Crossing his arms and leaning against the door, he chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“I think I’m starting to understand how Eir feels.” </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. my name.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"For a long moment, Eir just breathed, and tried not to feel."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this is a scene I've been wanting to write for a while now-- the first of the few scenes where we finally learn more about Eir himself during the time after reincarnation, but before the guild. </p><p>Hope you enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey granny, can I really take one?”</p><p>Levy, her hair still mostly drenched, walked up to the receptionist. She pointed excitedly at the little reading area by the lobby, where shelves and couches were laid around for customers to have a break outside of their rooms.</p><p>It’s a free shelf, so people can take any book they want, provided they put it back once they’re done or leave another book here in exchange.</p><p>“Of course,. But when you get bigger, come back and put in a new book, okay?”</p><p>“Thank you, granny!”</p><p> </p><p>Cana rushes out of the baths, towels in her hands. “Wait, Levy! Your hair’s not dry yet--” and she slips on a wet spot on the ground.</p><p>In an almost comically perfect way, Cana <em>squeaks</em>, towel flying out of her hands and knees crumbling under surprise.</p><p>Levy had a second to turn around and realize what was going on before a figure blitzed past them, arms stretched out just in time to catch the girl in a bigger pair of arms.</p><p> </p><p>Cana opened her eyes to a soft blue cardigan, and when she looked up-- the lady smiled back at her.</p><p>“That was dangerous, wasn’t it?” the lady said, setting Cana back on her feet and helping her feet back into the sandals that slipped off. “Look at you, your hair’s all drenched.”</p><p>And Cana instinctively handed one of the towels in her arm to the lady that draped it over her head, helping her dry off.</p><p>Levy hesitated behind the reception counter, staring in surprise.</p><p>And the lady looked over and beckoned her toward them. “You too, little lady. You’ll catch a cold if you stay like that. You won’t want people to slip again, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Cana felt oddly soothed by her presence. Maybe it was the white hair, so similar yet just a shade away, just a crop longer than Eir’s. Maybe it was the way she looked at them, like a mother or a big sister, like Enno.</p><p>Maybe Levy had similar people to project those impressions into-- because she came over obediently, almost eager to be next in line of her hair drying services.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Adi,” the lady introduced herself. “Oh-- it’s spelled with an ‘A’, but it’s read like ‘Eddy’. Strange, isn’t it?”</p><p>Levy giggled at that, but Cana blinked in surprise.</p><p>“May I know your names?” the lady asked, draping the towel over Cana’s shoulders before moving on to Levy’s hair. She was still on her knees, patiently working over them without a single unnatural movement.</p><p>Cana smiled, because that’s the polite thing to do.</p><p>“I’m Cana!” she says, “thanks, Miss Adi!”</p><p>“I- I’m Levy!” Levy was quick to follow up on the introduction, “thank you… very much as well, Miss Adi.”</p><p>“You’re welcome,” Adi left the towel over the girl’s head before standing up and dusting herself off. “It’s getting late, so you should return to your room soon. The cafe turns into a bar at night so it’s a little dangerous out here.”</p><p>“It’ll be okay!” Cana reached into her pocket and retrieved a small steel emblem in the shape of the Fairy Tail mark, emblazoned with silver, glowing a little blue against the light. “Eir gave us this, so people won’t bother us.”</p><p>Cana then pinned it on the collar of Levy’s yukata.</p><p> </p><p>Adi blinked, possibly because she recognized it. That emblem-- the Eir pin, they were unofficially calling it-- was meant as a sort of mark for children under direct protection of the ambassador project.</p><p>Each guild had a set prepared and held by various trusted members, all in case dark guilds come by and decide it wise to target certain members, especially defenseless children, of association with the guild.</p><p><b>‘If you hurt the kids, you’ll make an enemy of all official guilds in Fiore,’</b> is what it basically means.</p><p> </p><p>“So you’re from Fairy Tail, Cana? That’s amazing,” Adi says.</p><p>Cana beamed, “Yeah! Levy’s going to join too!”</p><p>“Eh?” the girl seemed surprised to hear that, “I am?”</p><p>“Oh, you don’t want to?” Cana looked over, seemingly taken aback that not everyone wanted to join the cult immediately after being kidnapped.</p><p>“Uh…”</p><p>Adi giggled when Levy seemed at a loss for words.</p><p>“Well, good luck with that then. Be careful though-- ah, do you guys want a drink? Fruit milk after a warm bath is the greatest thing in the world, y’know!”</p><p>“I want one!” Cana cheered at that, “Levy, too!”</p><p>“Ah--” Levy flustered, “yes please!”</p><p> </p><p>It was as they turned into the reading area, toward the vending machines, that Levy looked a little too closely and noticed something oft.</p><p>Adi’s shirt flowed slightly in the wind from the entrance, and as it raised, she spotted a scar at her stomach, a little beside her bellybutton.</p><p>It was bold and red, like a surgery scar-- yet it wasn’t quite as clean as a stitch should have looked if done by a professional hospital.</p><p>Adi reached over and flattened her clothing back over her skin-- so casually Levy didn’t know if she noticed her staring. But it was rude either way, so Levy quickly looked away.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir found them sitting around in the reading area couch, Adi sitting between them and helping Levy through the tough words in the oddly difficult book she had chosen to read.</p><p>He had his suit jacket in his arm, but left his dress suit on with the top two buttons out. He had the intention to change back into the inn yukata once they got back into their rooms.</p><p>Ren trailed obediently behind him, sparkles in his eyes and a very soft scarf in his arms, cradled like a very fascinating object.</p><p> </p><p>“Eir!” Cana noticed him first, hopping off the couch to greet the teen with a hug.</p><p>But Eir’s eyes were on the lady beside Levy. In an almost similarly contemplative manner, she turned around, fixing a mirroring look on Eir.</p><p>“What are you two doing down here?” he asked.</p><p>“Reading!” Cana said happily, “don’t worry, we told Laxus where we were!”</p><p>“I see,” is Eir’s noncommittal answer. He turned to Adi as Levy scooted off the couch and hustled over clumsily with her book still in her arms.</p><p>“Ah, Miss, Miss Adi was teaching me how to read,” she tugged on the edge of Eir’s pants, seemingly understanding better than Cana that Eir was wary of the stranger they had suddenly associated with, “she’s very nice.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir’s meaningful look did not waver even at that.</p><p>“Sorry if they’ve caused any trouble,” he told her, in a tone almost unemotional and chilling compared to what Cana had ever heard from him.</p><p> </p><p>Cana stood there, confused.</p><p>Eir didn’t pat her on the head, had barely even looked at her yet. He just kept that almost scary gaze in his eyes and never looked away from Adi.</p><p>(And Eir wouldn’t do that to just anyone, so why?)</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go back to our room, then,” Eir said, turning away and finally, <em>finally</em> looking away from Adi once and for all. “Ren, keep up.”</p><p>“Eir.”</p><p>And Eir froze.</p><p> </p><p>(Eir froze, and Cana was more surprised at that than anything else.)</p><p> </p><p>Eir turned around again and Adi was smiling. Not sweetly like before-- but gently, a little sadly, perhaps.</p><p>“Well… it’s a nice name,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>Eir’s expressions didn’t change even for a second-- but just for a moment, he was looking somewhere far away, his eyes clouded by something Cana couldn’t tell.</p><p>He turned back around and walked on, unable to provide a response for the unfounded compliment he had received.</p><p>And the children trailed after him, their eyes lingering confusedly on Adi, who smiled sweetly and waved at them.</p><p>A blink later, she was gone.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir walked into the room only for a baby totem pole to jet straight at him upon entry.</p><p>Eir shot back so abruptly, Levy squeaked as his leg smushed into her face. Eir tripped over Levy, reaching hastily over the door to regain his balance.</p><p>Ren yelped, lunging over to catch the girl before her head crashed into the door. In the process he dropped all his clothes, which Cana dove to catch because they looked expensive.</p><p>They ended up in a painful pile of limbs and clothes with one of Eir’s legs in the equation. Cana caught Levy’s book by chance, which was the only saving grace of the situation.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, my bad,” said Bickslow in the distance.</p><p> </p><p>“You guys okay?” Gray hustled over-- Eir grimaced at the half-naked child-- and the boy began to help Cana up, since she was the most retrievable element at the moment.</p><p>This got Levy to cling dizzily at Ren, and Bickslow’s dolls came around to skillfully pick up the fabric all over the area, clumsily depositing them in their master’s hands.</p><p>Bickslow, staring at it curiously, began to follow the creases to fold them back together.</p><p>“What took you guys so long?” Laxus already had his gaze set in a frown, approaching hem in an almost aggressive step forward. “And where were you, Eir? What the hell are you wearing?”</p><p>Cana stood there almost exhaustedly, soaking in her new bruises as Gray dusted her off and found knots in her hair.</p><p> </p><p>“We dropped by a Vandalay store!” Ren replied, leading Levy to Eir’s feet before almost eagerly receiving his now folded clothes from Laxus. “Monsser-san said we can go again tomorrow!”</p><p>Gray and Laxus immediately scrunched their faces up in absolute distaste, but Cana brightened up like a newly polished snow globe.</p><p>“I’ll pass,” Laxus responded immediately.</p><p>“Me too,” said Gray, half a beat later.</p><p>“I wanna go!” Cana cheered.</p><p>“Hey, hey. What’s Vandalay?” Bickslow asked.</p><p>His dolls echoed, “Vandalay! Vandalay!”</p><p>“It’s an amazing place!” Ren offered, a little excited. “Look at all these pretty clothes.”</p><p>Gray blanched. “In what way?! That place is torture!”</p><p>“But isn’t it cool?”</p><p>“See? Ren-kun agrees with me. You spoiled brats don’t know the value of wearing expensive clothing for free!”</p><p>“Trust me Cana, we don’t wanna know.”</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, what’s Vandalay?”</p><p>The children (and Laxus) ended up in their little conference of the horrors and joys of modelling, and Eir wasn’t quite in the mood to participate. </p><p> </p><p>Setting down his suit jacket by the clothes rack, he reached over to the bedside table-- and his heart stilled.</p><p>Because his cookies were not where he left it.</p><p><em>Where had he left it? </em>Surely it was in this room, he left it here when he went out and didn’t come back in until now.</p><p>His katana-- it was still there-- and Laxus’ sword rested right beside it. He clearly remembered placing it right there when he went out, so it couldn’t have been a little slip of the mind.</p><p>Did someone take it?</p><p>
  <em>(But if he asks ‘hey, did anyone see the forbidden cookies?’, they’ll probably get mad at him for leaving them out…)</em>
</p><p>He sighed again. It would be useful now. Those cookies always made him feel a little less like this when it really counted.</p><p>
  <em>(Guess it can wait, then.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(It’ll turn up.)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Sitting down by the wall, he picked up Laxus’ sword.</p><p>It’s Eir’s old sword, a beaten old thing so worn out and barely holding together by maintenance-- but Laxus had wanted that for his birthday last year and who was Eir to deny that of him?</p><p>If anything, Eir was almost too eager to throw it out once he got the katana.</p><p>He picked it up, wrapping his palm over the bent and worn-down to bones hilt, sliding a finger across the guard-- right past the lightly sanded down portion where it once held some random kingdom’s emblem.</p><p> </p><p>Contrary to popular belief, this sword was nothing sentimental, nothing like that.</p><p>Eir had just stolen it from some dead knight’s body and used it as a necessity in learning magic control and self-defense. Nothing else.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>(“Eir. That’s a nice name.”)</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>He flinched, dropping the sword a little too abruptly. It bumped sharply against the wall, clattered against the katana, and they collapsed in a noisy, heavy pile.</p><p>He breathed out.</p><p>Setting a hand on his stomach, right where the guild mark was-- he closed his eyes and buried his face in his palm.</p><p> </p><p>For a long moment, he simply breathed. </p><p>Fingers pressed into his eyes, a headache barely registered, he simply took in oxygen, circulated, and functioned at minimum.</p><p>And no one disturbed him, even as Ren got changed, Gray got dressed, Levy gathered her books, and Laxus set out the futons for bed.</p><p>Or maybe he just didn't hear them.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Adi, was it?)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(...Is that what she’s calling herself now?)</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. two cookies.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>and this marks the end of X775! sorry to draw out this entirety of filler for like, way too long. Starting x776, other than Erza's appearance, Eir will be lined up for more responsibilities because he's now 17. Incoming action! Maybe.</p><p>And can I just say that there are so little characters in this age range? I thought they were more but then I forget about the seven year time skip so no, a lot of people are actually younger by the laws of math.</p><p>Eesh. Anyways! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>"You want to go alone?"</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>She was surprised when her younger brother had suggested it first.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Two children, dressed in a little more than rags, huddled together in an alley. Their hairs were white as the snow around them, and their fingers were red from frostbite.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>"I'll only be a burden to you from here," he said.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>And the sister looked back letting a little sadness escape from her eyes. But she held it back and stood up.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>It's fine.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>"Alright then," she said. "I'll go South."</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>"I'll go West," he replied.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>She looked back only once more, her hand set on the sword at her own side. She resisted the urge to tell him something more loving, because this would definitely be the last time they see each other.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>But she turned around and told herself to forget she ever had a brother.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Because that would be the only way they could die as humans.</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir woke up with an immense headache.</p><p>Crawling out of his bed with a soft groan, he held his head and sighed. Cana was in Laxus' bed, and Bickslow was only about a third of the way inside of his own. Ren was perfectly still in his bed, but Gray was on top of him somehow.</p><p>He could feel the magic pulsing inside of him, throbbing like an exposed artery.</p><p>He squeezed the cloth around his chest and breathed in, breathed out.</p><p> </p><p>Geez, where did his cookies even go? He stumbled out of the room as quietly as he could, remember to take his katana on the way.</p><p>He walked until he reached a forest, where he was vaguely sure no one would be around in this time of the day.</p><p>He draws his sword and packs it with magic.</p><p><b><em>"Enchant: Wind,"</em></b> he whispers.</p><p>And he keeps pouring magic into it, a hand on the hilt and another just by the blade-- the pure concentration of magic congealed, solidified, and began to boil.</p><p>It hurt to hold the hilt as it heated up, but Eir couldn't help but be impressed.</p><p>If he had used this much magic into his other blade, it would have shattered.</p><p>Then he throws the blade upward.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>"Wind Bullet!"</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>The force of that charged bullet blew him down, and though he managed to keep a grip on the sword upward with both of his hands, he crashed backward to the ground.</p><p>Eir admired as the sky split open, clouds whirling out of the way and making way for the sun. The fog around him scattered out and gave him a wide berth.</p><p>He put his sword down, closing his eyes-- and breathed in, breathed out.</p><p>His head didn't hurt anymore.</p><p> </p><p>The most logical cure for Magic Overload is, well, to just lessen the amount of magic inside of you. Get a magic that uses a lot of magic power, like a Lost Magic. Keep using magic constantly in some way, all of that bull.</p><p>But in reality, it's not that simple.</p><p>Magic Overload is tricky in the way that it's lost at the same rate it returns. Lower magic sparsely and it'll stay average for a while. Use it all at once and it'll come back twice as nauseating as before.</p><p>But as an emergency, painkilling solution, it's not a bad idea. He should hurry and get back to Porlyusica's place as soon as they can...</p><p> </p><p>"Y'know," a voice interrupted his thoughts. "That's only a temporary solution."</p><p> </p><p>Eir shot up, reaching for his sword-- but when he found the speaker, he froze for a completely different reason.</p><p>"I was wondering how you were still alive," Adi said, a weak smile on her face. "I hope you hadn't actually been shooting off magic like that when it got too full. You'll cause a natural disaster one day."</p><p>Eir, recomposing himself, stood up and sheathed his sword.</p><p>"I don't usually do that," is his only answer. He looked away, shuffling uncomfortably around his feet.</p><p>Adi smiled. "That's great." </p><p> </p><p>When she stepped closer, Eir reached for his sword-- so she stayed where she was. </p><p>"Hey, what's your name?"</p><p>Eir kept his eyes on her for only a moment, "Eir," he said, like it was obvious. Then a second later, he realized what she meant. "Eir Macmillan."</p><p>And her eyes light up in a sort of joy.</p><p>"I see," she said-- and her smile was different this time. It was sweet, and actually, honestly delighted. "I'm Adi Corcoran. Nice to meet you."</p><p>When she instinctively put a hand at the scar on her stomach, Eir unintentionally mirrored her actions, placing his own hand at where his guild mark was meant to be.</p><p>Eir set his hand back at his sword and grimaced.</p><p>Adi bubbled with laughter. "I hope I see you again, then," she says.</p><p>She was gone before Eir got to tell her the sentiment wasn't shared.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Levy was first to wake up.</p><p>When she looked around hazily, she vaguely registered that Eir wasn't where he was supposed to be. Dismissing the confusion, she stretched, rubbing at her eyes.</p><p>She sat in the middle of a couple of messy futons, and wondered idly if she could go down to the lobby for breakfast or if she had to wake Laxus up first.</p><p>It was at that moment that she spotted it.</p><p>Hidden in Laxus' sleeve, tucked just a little inside-- was a pouch of cookies.</p><p> </p><p>Levy crawled over carefully, trying not to wake Cana up, and picked it up. Opening the ribbon, she could tell by the smell that they were gingersnap cookies.</p><p>Well, Laxus was a nice guy, so surely he wouldn't scold her too badly for stealing one or two...</p><p>So Levy took one, and bit the edge curiously. When she acknowledged that it tasted <em>amazing</em>, she took a large bite, falling straight in love.</p><p> </p><p>She was reaching for her third one when Cana woke up, saw her, saw the cookies, and then screamed.</p><p>Laxus and Ren bolted upright, the older one swirling around until he saw Cana, taking her by the shoulders in confusion. Ren continued to look around, eyes blown wide in surprise. He finds Levy and looks at her, similarly confused.</p><p>Levy was so surprised she dropped the pouch.</p><p>Then Laxus saw the problem and yelled out in horror. That wakes Gray up, but instead of seeing anything or registering anything, Gray just yelled like he'd bolted out of a nightmare of some sort.</p><p>"Oh geez, can't a man sleep in here?!" Bickslow snatched a pillow to cover his head. Then he wakes up and goes, "wait. What's going on?"</p><p>"Spit it out!" Cana scrambled over to Levy in a panic.. "Spit that out right now!"</p><p>But Levy, flustered, swallows everything in her mouth. Cana screams in despair. Laxus is reaching for the Call Card only to remember he doesn't know how to use it.</p><p>"His sword is gone!" Ren pointed at the empty spot in the wall, "Eir's!"</p><p>"It's like, right, guys," Bickslow said, finding the clock on the wall, "too early."</p><p>Gray was still screaming in the corner.</p><p> </p><p>Levy panicked. She had done something wrong and she didn't know what, but she knew it was definitely something bad because they're freaking out. So she just started wailing at the top of her lungs.</p><p> </p><p>"Shit!" Laxus balked.</p><p>Finally, Gray turned over and saw the situation. He swore loudly. "Where's Eir?!'</p><p>"No Levy, don't die!" Cana cried, and Levy paused for a second before crying louder.</p><p>"Fuck," Laxus vainly shook the Call Card in his hand, not noticing that it connected. "What do we do? Do we run back to the guild? To the hospital? To Porlyusica-san?"</p><p>Ren opened every door in the room and overturned the blankets. "Where's Eir?!" And in a second, Gray joined him, as if they would find Eir in a drawer or something.</p><p>Bickslow still had his hands over his ears, and his eyes were closed. "I'm blind and deaf. I hear nothing."</p><p>Meanwhile, his totem poles decided to repeatedly say 'die! Die!' like the situation wasn't a trainwreck already.</p><p> </p><p>Then the door slid open loudly.</p><p>"What's going on here?!"</p><p> </p><p>"Eiiirr!!" Cana all but clambered forward, tears in her eyes, "Levy's gonna die!!" she wailed-- Laxus looked over and saw a number of guests outside, concerned by the noise in the early morning, some looking disgruntled.</p><p>"Eir!" Ren called for him, almost angry, "it's bad! Levy is-- uh--!!"</p><p>"What?" Eir held Cana to him and looked toward Levy, who was also crying because some idiots in the room frightened the heck out of her.</p><p>And then she stopped, sniffling, a hand reaching toward her head almost sluggishly. "Huh? I'm getting dizzy..."</p><p> </p><p>Laxus caught her as she fell back.</p><p>"Her magic's fluctuating like crazy!"</p><p>And it was like a heartbeat going too fast, too fast, too strong-- pulsing like a wave that can't decide if it should be there.</p><p>"Die, die!"</p><p>"Bickslow, shut them up!" Laxus snapped, and this time, Bickslow snatched his miniatures out of the air and hid them behind his back without complaints.</p><p>"She ate a forbidden cookie!"</p><p>Eir stared at the open pouch of cookies on the ground, cursing to himself. He'd been searching for those all morning, and it's in the room? You've got to be kidding.</p><p> </p><p>He crouched down beside Levy with a frown.</p><p>"How many did she eat?" because this was getting serious.</p><p>"Didn't see."</p><p>"Definitely more than one, then," he said.</p><p>She was unconscious-- but her magic was coming out in bursts, and her body was cold. She wasn't sweating-- just internally, getting colder, colder, colder.</p><p>Eir set his fingers on her arm, his naturally higher body heat making her flinch.</p><p> </p><p>Magic Deficiency. The exact opposite issue to Magic Overload.</p><p>It happened especially because she wasn't a trained mage. He'd been careless.</p><p> </p><p>"You guys stay back for a bit," he told the kids, "chase away the onlookers, they're distracting." When they looked at him, reluctant, he sighed. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Laxus made sure the onlookers were assured and closed the door. And then he held Cana and Gray back as they watched, warily, from about two paces away. Ren was sitting down patiently, but his eyes never left the scene.</p><p>Bickslow stood by the side carefully, setting one totem pole each on Cana and Gray's head, so they'd put a weight in case they started running forward.</p><p>Eir laid Levy down on the futon, and set his hands above her at an angle.</p><p>He breathed in slowly.</p><p>And a magic circle swirled to life.</p><p> </p><p>Laxus' breath stilled.</p><p>Because it was <em>different</em>. Not just the patterns, not just the sheer magic power that filled each inscription. There were two layers-- one was silver, the other, blue.</p><p>Eir's spells were always white. Maybe silver was close enough, but this one was blue. Rich, cerulean blue, gleaming in an almost phosphoric shade.</p><p>Whatever this is, it's not his usual Air Blade magic.</p><p> </p><p>(Laxus has known Eir for almost seven years now.)</p><p>(And he knew nothing about <em>this</em>.)</p><p> </p><p>Eir uncasted it only a second later, and Laxus belatedly realized that he didn't even notice what happened. What did the magic do?</p><p>But the other four were already rushing forward, and Laxus was left stunned where he stood as Levy sat up slowly, blinking confusedly.</p><p>"Huh? I feel fine now," she says, almost groggily, as Cana enveloped her in a relieved hug and Bickslow's totem poles began to squish themselves at her face in joy. Gray was looking her up and down, trying to find out what was wrong and what wasn't now.</p><p> </p><p>Laxus' eyes met Eir's.</p><p>And just a little, Eir looked a little paler. Laxus stepped forward, but Eir turned away. He picked up his pouch of cookies and pocketed it.</p><p>"Sorry, I left them lying around," he said, and Laxus had to refocus himself into the situation, suddenly realizing that Eir was talking to him.</p><p>"Uh-- no," Laxus responded, "I was hiding them and forgot about it."</p><p>Eir patted him on the head. "Thanks, then."</p><p>And then Eir set down his sword at the side.</p><p> </p><p>Laxus kept his eyes on the children. Levy was worriedly trying to assure everyone she was fine, and Ren was insisting she stay down and go back to sleep. Bickslow was already working around to get another bed in place, and Gray began to wonder where his own clothes went.</p><p>And then Laxus turned around.</p><p>"What was that, Eir?" he asked.</p><p>Eir gave him a confused look. "Hm? Magic Deficiency is dangerous especially for her age, so I gave her some as an emergency first aid."</p><p>Laxus looked on, confused.</p><p>"Magic, Laxus, I gave her some raw magic so her bodily functions won't collapse in on herself," Eir said.</p><p>"What?" Laxus repeated louder, perhaps even more confused now. Because the only 'magic bestowing' he'd ever experienced was from a Lacrima. "That's possible?"</p><p>"Well, not usually," Eir said. "If you just pour your magic into someone else's flow, their internal magic will either accept it as a disturbance and dissolve it, or it will reject it strongly and cause a negative reaction."</p><p>Laxus considered that. He had heard from Gray that his magic teacher had sent a wave of magic at Eir, and instead of simply feeling weird or intimidated for two minutes, Eir had been stuck with a fever for a week.</p><p>So, "you did that to Levy?"</p><p>Eir wasn't the type to take that sort of risk.</p><p>"No, I didn't do that," Eir clarified. "There's a known magic, but well, I'm not sure of its name-- think healing magic, it's in that thread. It's completely safe, so don't worry."</p><p>"Oh," Laxus hums, "I guess that makes sense."</p><p> </p><p>So that would be the two magic circles-- maybe it ran his magic through a converter of some sort that makes it adaptable to the body that receives it-- but is that possible?</p><p>
  <em>Wait, no. Magic like those are--</em>
</p><p> </p><p>"But Eir--"</p><p>He turned around, but Eir was already out of the door.</p><p>"I'm going to take a bath, so you guys can go back to sleep or come with me," he hollered into the room. "Not for long though, we're getting a makeover session with Monsieur after this, and then we're going home."</p><p>Gray and Bickslow went right after him. The girls and Ren began to arrange the futons around again, chatting about horrible sleeping postures and their relative bedhead.</p><p> </p><p>Laxus' question hung in the air, unanswered.</p><p>
  <em>(Those sort of magic are Lost magic, though?)</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. the shift.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The year is X776. Gildarts comes home, the children have settled down, and a tournament is on its way.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What is this? What is this?!?”</p><p>Bickslow and Levy first see the Gildarts Shift nearly seven months after they came to Magnolia. They follow the Fairy Tail crowd out to greet him, and they’re almost endearingly flabbergasted.</p><p>“As usual, one hell of a big show,” Eir sighed.</p><p>“W-w-what’s happening?” Levy clung to Eir’s coat, head swirling around in confusion. “The city is-- like that storybook I read last time--”</p><p>“No no, it’s not going to stand up and start walking,” he clarified before she got her hopes up. “You’re going to meet someone really strong.”</p><p>“Stronger than you?” Bickslow asked, stepping off to his other side. “And Laxus?”</p><p>“I’ll be stronger than him one day,” Laxus swore to the side, “but for now, no.”</p><p>“I ripped his cloak to pieces once,” Eir said. “But that’s about it.”</p><p>“Seriously?”</p><p> </p><p>Behind him, the guild burst into a whole celebration. With the ringing of the bells, mugs and mugs of beer was brought to the table.</p><p>“It’s cake day!” Macao lifted Cana into the air. The girl squealed in surprise and planted a foot in his face, but that did nothing to quell his bright grin.</p><p>“You already decided that it’s cake day?” Eir turned to face him. “Master limited us to once every three weeks because of budget costs, you know that.”</p><p>“Who cares, Gildarts is back!”</p><p>Laxus was already carting Bickslow and Gray toward the guild hall. He turned around, confused, “what do you mean we’re not baking today?” he asked, looking almost put off.</p><p>“You guys are spoiled!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>The year is X776, and Eir is seventeen.</b>
</p><p>In the time between, Eir’s little legion of children have become officially recognized as a team of Fairy Tail.</p><p>With Eir <em>‘prospective S-class of the season’</em> Macmillan as the essential figurehead and Laxus<em> ‘the guild master’s grandson’</em> Dreyar as the most prominent fighting force, they’ve garnered quite a notorious name for themselves.</p><p> </p><p>"Ooh, the Eir Legion's grown! Who are the new faces?" Gildarts cooed immediately after spotting them, coming closer and reaching down to pat Eir on the head.</p><p>"Stop patting me on the head," he growled back.</p><p>"Awh. And hey, you've really grown, like, a bit!" Gildarts said, turning between Eir and Laxus twice before concluding, "yep. Laxus is taller than you now."</p><p>"No he ain't!" Eir snapped.</p><p>"Yes, we checked."</p><p> </p><p>Bickslow looked toward Cana, "hey, if we're the Air Legion, would a Laxus group be the Thunder Legion?"</p><p>The girl shrugs, "I'm pretty sure he meant Eir as in his name, but probably."</p><p> </p><p>Cana and Bickslow were slowly gaining their own prestige as well. Though they weren’t nearly as strong as the other two, they were shaping themselves up to be quite promising as the future front forces of Fairy Tail.</p><p>“So these are the new faces? Oh, cute uniform you’ve got there, little lady,” Gildarts turns to Levy, who smiled back up shyly, keeping a hand on Cana’s.</p><p>“I’m Levy!” she introduces herself. “I just got back from school for the weekend!”</p><p>“Cute,” Gildarts crouches down, examining the long-sleeved sailor uniform laid out in magic council white, turquoise and dark blue. The emblem of the school was clear on her breast pocket, and she even had a short white cape to complete her look.</p><p> </p><p>Levy, despite being just a year younger than Cana, was deemed too inexperienced to be immediately dropped into a guild. She had no background as a wizard, and her living situation wasn’t so terrible to begin with-- there was no need for them to remove her from it just to toss her into frugal and independent living conditions.</p><p>After a general consensus among the guild masters, it was decided that, instead of settling her into the guild immediately, Eir would send her to school.</p><p>(Which meant dorm-living and school fees higher than anything Fairy Hills has to offer, but that’s beside the point. Eir has enough money for that.)</p><p> </p><p>“Huh? So Levy’s going, but Cana’s not?” Gildarts asked, turning to the taller of the two girls. “I thought you were around the same age.”</p><p>“I’m fine, there’s no point,” Cana responded, evidently not for the first time. “I can read, I can write, and I can use my card magic just<em> fine</em>.”</p><p>“So you live in the dorms there alone?” Gildarts asked, patting her on the head.</p><p>Levy shook her head, “Sherry-chan’s with me!”</p><p>Eir could deem magic schooling as a glorified government system that taught basic to advanced magic control, under the premise of cultivating either future soldiers or scholars. Most of the graduates eventually go on to work for the magic council, but not all of them.</p><p>It’s basically like higher education in the old world, except here it’s generally less valuable simply because not everyone has access to education to begin with.</p><p> </p><p>“Then what about you, boy with the strange mask?”</p><p>“It’s a sallet,” Bickslow said, proud, “Laxus gave it to me! Isn’t it cool?”</p><p>“Stop telling everyone that!” Laxus snapped, face flushed red as Gildarts gave him the smuggest grin in the history of smug grins.</p><p>“He gave me these too!” Bickslow said, reaching for his floating totem poles, “they’re my babies.”</p><p>Gildarts gave Laxus a suggestive look.</p><p>Laxus bowled right over and socked the man in the face.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>They made it to the kitchen eventually, Gildarts settling down at the bar as the children filed in. Reedus had his usual spot by the bar, and Gildarts couldn’t hold back a grin when he saw what he was painting.</p><p>Eir had Levy’s cloak in his arms, trying to convince her it would be a better idea to just change out of the uniform. But the girl just rolled her sleeves up, pulled on her apron, and was all set and ready to make the best cookies in the world.</p><p>“School really gave her one hell of a confidence boost,” Laxus said, watching the scene with mild interest. “Hey Bickslow, take the helmet off.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p> </p><p>Gildarts watched fondly as they communed in the kitchen, enjoying themselves like the children they were in this guild of drunkards and adults.</p><p>It was always so refreshing to see this after a long mission. Therapeutic, almost.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you’re back, Gildarts?” Master came down from the second floor, greeting the man as Enno served them a mug of beer each.</p><p>“I’m home,” the man said.</p><p>“Mission went well?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>They both threw back their drinks in one powerful chug.</p><p>“Ah, nothing beats a drink after work!” Gildarts sighed contentedly,</p><p>Master grinned. “So, Gildarts, glad that you’re back,” he said, immediately speaking in a tone that meant he had something mildly important to say. “There’s a little… <em>thing</em> you have to do.”</p><p>“Another mission?”</p><p>“No, not that kind of assignment,” Master said. “We were talking about how all mage guilds have grown slack in the last few years, and S-class job completion rates are sinking like nothing else.”</p><p>Gildarts chuckled at that, “yeah, cause I’m like, one of the only few still in action, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>He, well-renowned as Gildarts of the West in other regions, was basically carrying the entire Fiore region at this point.</p><p> </p><p>“Even if they say that though, it’s not our fault everything’s so peaceful,” Makarov huffed, taking another sip. “And we can’t just advance anyone.”</p><p>“We haven’t had a test in three years,” Gildarts hummed, “thinking of hosting one this year?”</p><p>“I want to, but it’s not much of a test when I don’t have enough candidates in mind,” Master said, “in fact, Bob and Goldmine have the same concerns.”</p><p>Gildarts raised an eyebrow. “Where is this conversation going?”</p><p>Makarov grinned.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir’s face scrunched up in very clear displeasure.</p><p>“C’mon, Eir, it can’t be <em>that</em> bad.”</p><p>Eir was munching angrily at his cake, looking almost disgruntled. He vehemently avoided eye contact with the older man, because from young till now, Eir’s always shown his anger in either ‘I’ll ignore you’ or ‘I’ll punch you’, no in between.</p><p>Cana stole the strawberry off of Laxus’, and they were in an angry push-sumo battle on their chairs. Levy, Gray and Bickslow were sharing like civilised little sweethearts.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t have a choice, everyone had to do one or Master would confiscate my booze,” Gildarts whined, “and I did it because I had high hopes in you. Master and I both.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir was inching a little closer to ‘punch him’ territory. He didn’t even care when Laxus carefully pried the strawberry off his cake.</p><p>“You're going to make me sad!” Gildarts feigned tears, “where did my cute little Eir go?”</p><p>And EIr lashed right out, fist coming up to the man’s face. Except, Gildarts caught it easily, grinning widely.</p><p>“Oh ho ho,” Gildarts smirked, “what’s this, Eir? You’ve gotten stronger since I last saw you. Your punches actually feel like something now.”</p><p>Eir clicked his tongue, very audibly.</p><p>“That’s it. Let’s take this outside, you old fart,” he hissed.</p><p>Gildarts laughed warmly. “Yeah kid, let’s get you trained, you’ll need it.”</p><p>Eir blew through him with another punch, the air rippling through in a piercing gale that leaves a scratch in the bar counter-- but Gildarts catches that one too, firmly.</p><p> </p><p>And so began the very dangerous battle that got a couple of people dodging out of the way with devastated yelps of food sacrifice and table destruction.</p><p> </p><p>“So,” Gray turned to Laxus, speaking as if two of their strongest mages weren’t fighting right over their heads, “what’s got them so worked up?”</p><p>Bickslow shrugged.</p><p>Laxus munched on his cake, annoyed for a different reason. “Well, we’re having a tournament among the guilds next month, for S-class testing or whatever.”</p><p>“Gildarts and Master both nominated Eir, but Eir doesn’t want to go,” Cana explained. Then she shrugged vaguely in Laxus’ direction, “and Laxus is being a total edgelord because he didn’t get chosen.”</p><p>“I am <em>not</em> being an edgelord, you bohemian loli!”</p><p>“Yes you are, teenage angst!”</p><p>“You are the <em>definition </em>of teenage angst, Cana!”</p><p>“Excuse me?!”</p><p>Levy chuckled at the sight. “Next month, huh? I wonder if I’ll be able to make it to watch the tournament. I’m sure Sherry would want to see as well.”</p><p>Gray blinked, suddenly realizing something. “Huh, but if all the strongest wizards of the other guilds are coming, wouldn’t that mean Jura would be participating as well?”</p><p>“Jura?” Bickslow asked.</p><p>“He’s this really strong Earth Mage from Lamia,” Gray said, “come to think of it, Eir’s never gone seriously against Jura before. I wonder who would win in a match.”</p><p>Makarov snickered beside them, and the three turned to him with interest.</p><p>“It’s going to be a fight worth watching, ain’t it?”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. "The Lovers"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cana deals with Laxus' teenage angst, and Karen gets a new fluffy friend.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>AN:</b> I think people are going to ask, but the title references a tarot card and its meaning, not literally romance, so no, this is not some foreshadowing of a future relationship. The story is familial love only! &gt;n&lt; but if you do ship any characters together in or because of my story, go ahead! ❤ no romance will happen in the story except for the canonical ones, and that's still in the future.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cana sighed as Laxus smashed a hole in the tree, again.</p><p>Grunting something indiscernible under his breath, he marched off in the next direction, stepping harshly enough on the soil to leave the grass smushed and the soil uneven.</p><p>Laxus was irritated. That much was obvious.</p><p> </p><p>Earlier in the town, someone had asked him if he was participating in the S-class Advancement Tournament-- it was all the hype in the region, after all.</p><p>Laxus was almost incredibly polite when he told them he didn't make the cut this year. The trouble came when the gossiping auntie teased him about falling short.</p><p>
  <em>(Because "even Makarov's grandson can fall short of something, huh? I guess there's a first time for everyone," they had said.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(Cana had interrupted them immediately. "Laxus, let's go," she hadn't spared anyone else a glance, simply took the boy by the elbow and dragged him out before a response could be formed in his head.)</em>
</p><p>Though Eir knew Laxus longest, Cana knew him best at the moment. And Cana knew that Laxus only ever went on a job with her when he was upset.</p><p>If there was anything that was going to put him over the edge... this might be it.</p><p> </p><p>"Biribiri, stop that," she spoke up. "You're going to chase the beasts away from you."</p><p>"Stop calling me that!" Laxus' reaction was an explosion of anger, driven forth by all his accumulated frustration thus far. "And we don't need the little ones! Eca Wolves only come to strong opponents, so I'm trying to draw them in!"</p><p>Cana rolled her eyes-- then trained a glare on him.</p><p>"Strong?" she taunted, "you're acting like a brat just because you didn't get chosen for S-class. That's not strong and if I can tell, I bet the animals can, too."</p><p>That was evidently the wrong thing to say, because the tree root under his foot burst in a spark of golden discharge. It caught fire for the briefest of a second, its edges still shining in coal-like illuminance before Laxus drove his boot through it.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't test me, Cana."</p><p>That tone was a threat.</p><p> </p><p>Cana suspected that being S-class had little to do with it. Laxus was happier than anyone when Eir was nominated-- he was envious, but he was willing to accept it with a grain of salt because he was proud of Eir as a big brother, as who he was.</p><p>And yet.</p><p>And yet, all people saw of the situation was that Makarov's grandson had fallen short of the bar-- what a major upset, huh?<em> Makarov's grandson </em>isn't in the tournament bracket.</p><p>It's always <em>Makarov's grandson </em>and never <em>Laxus Dreyar</em>.</p><p>(And that pissed Cana off too.)</p><p>Maybe-- just maybe, Cana needed to let off some steam too.</p><p>Swallowing nervously, she smiled.</p><p> </p><p>"What, you wanna fight?"</p><p> </p><p>She was nervous-- she instinctively knew this was stupid and reckless-- but a part of her was filled with excitement when she reached for the cards in her pocket.</p><p>Laxus' glare could burn a lesser man to smithereens.</p><p>Cana held her breath.</p><p>There's a second of pause-- then she whipped out her cards.</p><p>"Heaven and Wind! Wind Edge!"</p><p>The card gleamed, and a burst of wind surged forth. Stray leaves and twigs blitzed past their faces, soaring into the air in a tornado that ripped into the sky.</p><p>"Your soft wind's a joke compared to Eir's," Laxus raised his voice. Lightning began to charge in an orb of gold around his fist.</p><p>"Lightning Dragon's," he threw his arm forward in a burst of magic, fingers coming down like a claw. "Crushing Fang!"</p><p>Cana had a second to think. But she had a card in her sleeve.</p><p>"Vine!" she yelled out.</p><p>A tendril of a plant sprouted from her sleeve, forcing her arm backward as it spurted in the direction of a high tree. Cana barely remembered to grab on before it dragged her into the sky, not quickly enough to completely leave the range of the attack.</p><p>The trees in its direction shattered on impact, blown to pieces and charred in spots.</p><p>Her hair was loose from its ponytail. Half of her dress was charred, and her right leg was painfully numb-- but she grasped at the branch and held on, clambering upright to regain her footing.</p><p>"What? Too gutless to use your specialty against me?" Laxus turned to her, his expressions stone cold. "C'mon, Cana, can't hold back now, can we? You think I'm going to hold back against you?"</p><p>Cana swore under her breath.</p><p>"Don't be a dick, Laxus," she hissed.</p><p>Her specialty was lightning-- like hell she was going to use that against Laxus. She's not an idiot. She had to stay away from her strong water cards, too... and both of them were too acclimated to Eir's wind for Air Magic to be useful.</p><p> </p><p>Deciding to test her luck, she took a card from the deck.</p><p>"Oh, what's it say?" Laxus asked.</p><p>Cana scoffed, flipping it over for him to see. "Lovers, apparently. It's upright, in case you're wondering."</p><p>Union.</p><p>(Reconciliation is important, it's telling them.)</p><p> </p><p>Laxus grimaced. "Well, I sure as hell ain't gonna be first to apologize."</p><p>"Didn't think so either," Cana reached behind her, leaving fate to choose her next three cards. "Blaze, Chariot, Eight of Wands!"</p><p>Fire whirled to life around her elbows, searing through her sleeves and gathering at her elbow-- before shooting off in a large burst in Laxus' direction.</p><p>"La Flamme!"</p><p>Laxus's eyes blew wide. In a second he was lunging to the side, ducking behind a tree just in time for the blaze to sear his cheek just slightly.</p><p> </p><p>He hadn't seen this before. Cana was always eager to try new card attack combinations, but they were always a mixed bag when you didn't know what they could possibly do.</p><p>Right now, Cana was throwing whatever card her deck gave her, simply because her fortune gave her hope that she could win this apparently hopeless match.</p><p> </p><p>The flames spilled against the floor like a splash of paint-- but it didn't stay down. Flickering twice and rolling into one again, it formed a spiral once more, and chased.</p><p>Laxus's jaw dropped, "you've got to be kidding me!"</p><p>He ducked quickly to the side when the pillar of fire leapt at him again. Taking in a deep breath with his lightning-charged lungs-- he blew out a roar in its direction.</p><p>The trees burned away, and the fire finally died out.</p><p>But Cana was now behind him.</p><p>"Strength, Emperor, Ace of Wands, reversed!" she called, and the cards gleamed a shade of green Laxus only ever saw on the magic she hated to cast.</p><p>Wisps of turquoise snaked from the spells, surrounding Laxus in a ring of light-- and instantly, Laxus was brought to his knees. Another ring came around his neck, and his upper body froze too.</p><p>"Binding Magic, huh?" Cana breathed heavily, her arm burning with pain in the remnants of the magic that seared through.</p><p>She smiled.</p><p>"Now where's your apology?"</p><p>Laxus's face scrunched up in the most conflicted expression Cana had ever seen. "Damn this, your fortunes are just fucking cheating," he muttered.</p><p>"Can't hear you!" Cana sang.</p><p>"Oh I get it!" Laxus snapped. "I'm sorry! Now let me go, bitch!"</p><p>"Bitch?! Excuse me? You've been a dick and a half since yesterday!"</p><p>Laxus, fueled by anger, clenched his fist, tightened his elbows and-- snapped the magic binding as if it were glass ropes.</p><p>"Holy <em>crap</em>?!" Cana was flabbergasted, "oh man, knew I shouldn't have used three Major Arcana cards at once!"</p><p>"This isn't over, Cana!" Laxus yelled.</p><p> </p><p>They're interrupted.</p><p> </p><p>"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU TWO BRATS DOING?!"</p><p>Both of them froze to the sight of a crowd of angry stall owners at the mouth of the forest, armed with cooking utensils and umbrellas.</p><p>Cana and Laxus took in their surroundings-- huh?</p><p>"Wait, weren't we in a forest? That's weird," Laxus noticed.</p><p>Cana hummed, confused. "Yeah, when did we drift off into a wasteland? You guys had a forest fire recently?"</p><p>The shop owners don't even bother to explain. They chucked pans at them.</p><p>"WHOSE FAULT DO YOU THINK IT IS?!"</p><p>"DAMN IT, FAIRY TAIL!"</p><p>Dodging blunt projectiles, Cana and Laxus met eyes for a second. They immediately burst into laughter, and took off running with all their might.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir spent his day at Blue Pegasus. There was plenty of hype for the oncoming tournament, so he'd been doing nothing but photo shoots since the start of the week.</p><p>Jura got off with just one complementary picture. Curse him.</p><p>"Look, Eir, you made the top ranking for 'mage I most want to be my boyfriend'," Ren showed him the picture excitedly, "that's so cool!"</p><p>Eir brooded against the tea he was nursing "I could've gone another year not knowing that, Ren."</p><p>"And Karen's in the top fifteen," Ren said, "of the 'mages I most want to be my girlfriend, bracket in the future' rankings."</p><p>"But she's like, ten."</p><p>"She's fourteen."</p><p>"Same difference."</p><p>"No?!"</p><p> </p><p>The second floor of Blue Pegasus was a tea room and a library. It's much quieter than downstairs, and those that aren't ready to mingle with the hostesses come up here to relax undisturbed.</p><p>Eir settled at a table, Ren seated on the ground beside him with all the issues of Sorcerer Weekly at his feet.</p><p>He looked over his shoulder to the magazine, grimacing at the photo spread of himself.. Ren was there too, already advertised widely as an up-and-coming hottie to the world.</p><p>"If you don't like it, why do you keep doing it?" Ren asked, honestly curious.</p><p>"It's not that I hate it," Eir denied, "I just don't particularly like seeing the pictures. Like how actors don't watch their own movies, you know?"</p><p>"That's weird."</p><p>"No it isn't--" Eir denied again, but he's interrupted by a girl rushing up the stairs.</p><p>"Eir!" Karen called out, <em>sparkling</em> in excitement. "Yes! I made it home in time to see you!"</p><p>And when she jumped into his lap, Eir made sure to catch her before she spilled any of the tea on the table.</p><p> </p><p>In more recent years, Karen had begun to grow out her hair. It hung just above her shoulders now, in that familiarly mint green shade.</p><p>She hadn't given up on her colour scheme yet, but she was starting to grow into it. She's just a little shorter than Bickslow, and that was still quite a height. Eir didn't think he would be overtaken, but it still made him feel impressed.</p><p>"Welcome back, Karen. It's been a while huh?"</p><p>"It's been a <em>very</em> long while!" Karen whined. "Hi to you too, Ren."</p><p>"Yeah," Ren said.</p><p> </p><p>Karen's team came to the habit of going out on missions on the weekend. Karen couldn't just refuse to do so, which led to her narrowly missing Eir's visit every time.</p><p>"I'm glad I caught you! I really wanted to show you something!"</p><p>Karen stood up, digging into her pocket and retrieving-- a golden key.</p><p>Eir's eyes lit up with interest. He's seen a few of Karen's keys, including Aquila the mad eagle bolt and Circini the cupid with a temper, and a Nicola or two and a few more, but this is the first time Karen's shown him a golden key.</p><p>"Weren't those things really rare?" he asked.</p><p>Karen handed him the key, and he began to study it.</p><p>The bow of the key was distinctly framed like a pair of ram horns, encrusted over a plate with a symbol-- a zodiac symbol-- on it.</p><p>It was certainly more stylistic than the silver ones. It didn't have a proper pin or key wards on it-- just a flair at its end, for the most extravagant of doors.</p><p>"I got it from the previous client," she explained, "it's the gate of the Ram, Aries."</p><p>"I wanna see!" Ren leaned closer to their laps, sparkling with interest, "I've never seen your magic up close, Karen."</p><p>Karen pouted a little, "I wanted to show Eir first."</p><p>Eir patted her on the head, "I want to see too, Karen."</p><p>Soothed, Karen's face flushed a little redder. Submitting to the head pats, she hopped off the seat and held the key out.</p><p>"Well, I guess Ren can watch too," she huffed. Setting a hand on her chest and coagulating the magic power into her flow, she took a deep breath.</p><p>Ren clambered up to a chair, sitting backward over it to hug the backrest. His eyes were wide and interested, and Eir couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. It was endearing.</p><p> </p><p>"I am one who connects the road to the Celestial Spirit World. Now, O Spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate," Karen declared, then-- swiped. "Gate of the Ram, I open thee-- Aries!"</p><p>The distant sound of bells rang out, and spirals of light danced.</p><p>Clouds of pastel pink smoke churned from the invisible gate, and in the fog, a figure stepped out with a shy smile.</p><p>"N- Nice to meet you."</p><p> </p><p>Aries was young-- but perhaps, Celestial Spirits don't quite have a concept of age, only appearance. She was around Eir's height, but Eir could tell from her general mannerisms that she was much more mature than she would first appear.</p><p>Ren squealed with delight, and Eir blinked in surprise.</p><p>Karen looked on in fascination. "Nice to meet you too, Aries!"</p><p>"Fluffy," was Ren's awestruck first impression. He tugged at Eir's coat, "hey, isn't she way too cute? And fluffy?"</p><p>"Your Tsundere act still needs work," Eir deadpanned. His eyes met Aries' for a moment, and the girl quickly looked away, her shy demeanor evident in that alone.</p><p>His eyes drifted to Karen, who looked at him, eagerly awaiting his apparent validation.</p><p>"Don't be rude now," he reminded her, giving her a firm chop to the head before raising a thumb. "But she's cute, so okay."</p><p>"Yay! Hear that, Aries? Eir approved!" Karen beams, (Eir gawked, "what do you mean, Eir approved? What did I approve of? Karen??"), she jumped over to Aries and took her hands in hers. "Then, should we get our contract settled?"</p><p>"Y- Yes, Karen-sama. If that would be fine."</p><p>"Just Karen is fine! I'm just gonna call you Aries too, okay?"</p><p>"Oh-- alright... Miss Karen."</p><p>"Just Karen!"</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Karen ran around introducing her new spirit to the guild. It went without saying that the adults flocked to her immediately, crowding her with cheesy flirts and disturbing bedroom invitations.</p><p>(Ren <em>Aerial Blast</em>ed them to kingdom come.)</p><p>With Ren at one arm and Karen around the other, Aries was eventually dragged out of the guild when the two decided to go for a Mushroom gathering mission together.</p><p> </p><p>"It sure is livelier when there are kids in the guild," Eir watched them leave with a sort of content in his chest. "Though they don't exactly match the vibe of Blue Pegasus."</p><p>"I think they fit in fine," Master Bob replied confidently. "Come to think of it, I've seen your name on the candidacy list for the upcoming Tournament. I wish I could root for you, but Blue Pegasus is sending our dearest Ichiya, after all--"</p><p>"Eck, Ichiya's coming too?" Eir didn't try to hide his grimace. "His magic is <em>really</em> annoying, though..."</p><p>Master Bob giggled. "You don't spar much with the Pegasi, so I'm eager to see what becomes of it!"</p><p>"No, no, his fighting prowess, I can handle," Eir said, waving the concern aside, "but his face. Have you ever seen his face?"</p><p>"Yes, and I think it's charming."</p><p>"Exactly. Until you see it in the middle of a battle and ten years of contained jealousy comes out and you just want to punch him till he's ugly."</p><p>"Oh my, Ecchan, you've certainly learned to leave your true desires out in the open."</p><p>"So no hard feelings if I make him ugly, yeah?"</p><p>"Of course, young people should run wild all they want."</p><p> </p><p>Eir grinned at that. He picked up his mug of beer and downed it in a gulp. One of the perks of living in a mage guild was the fact that no one gave much a shit about legal drinking age.</p><p>"Tell him I'm looking forward to it if he's actually bothered enough to take it seriously, though."</p><p>Master Bob chuckled. "I think that's also part of what makes him charming."</p><p>"He's <em>obnoxious</em>, Master Bob, stop enabling him."</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. little red.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Granny gives her a shawl, and she clings to it tight. It's the only kindness she's gotten in the past three years and she savors it, pretending her wrists aren't sunken with scars and trying to gain what little warmth her torn dress hasn't been able to provide.</p><p>Little Red wanders Crocus, looking for her roots. She knows she won't find anything, but she wants to hope.</p><p>(And in the process, she finds a jeweled white knight.)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm baaack! been a hot minute since I updated anything ehe. It's not long, but hey, Erza. So have a chapter entirely in Erza POV, hope you enjoy! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Rosemary Village? I haven’t heard of it in so long… I’m so sorry Erza, I can’t quite remember anymore.”</p><p>An old granny travelling by coach finds a girl wandering along the same route, and graciously invites her to ride along the way. Perhaps she had bad eyes, but she made no mention of the girl’s condition, from the ripped clothes to the bloodshot eyes to the many, many wounds she shivered under.</p><p>“Is... is that so…”</p><p> </p><p>The granny’s accompanying knight-- a butler? Or perhaps a mage? had quietly dressed her wounds-- yet, he didn’t ask anything beyond if the bandages were too tightly bound, or if she had any other injuries he couldn’t see.</p><p>Erza had shied away from him at first, but his cold demeanor fascinated her.</p><p>He was skeptical of her, yet he had respected the granny’s wishes, so Erza could be comfortable and treated like a guest. He didn’t ask, didn’t pry, and protected not just granny, but Erza as well.</p><p>(A loyal knight, who fights to protect. Despite his own emotions, he follows his creed to the very end.)</p><p>(Erza wonders if someone like that would have led the Tower of Heaven’s rebellion to a prompt victory, instead of the devastating-- the devastating <em>everything</em> that came after.)</p><p> </p><p>“I do remember it was near the valleys of Crocus, however.”</p><p>And Erza drinks up the information quickly.</p><p>
  <em>Mountains, near Crocus.</em>
</p><p>“W- Where is this… Crocus?” she shrinks a little, but curls up tightly into the warmth of the blanket around her shoulders. “If I may, uhm, ask?”</p><p>The granny simply smiles. “Well, dearie, you’re in luck. We’re just headed that way. There is a tournament for Mage Guilds being held there, so you might get more information if you ask around.”</p><p>That’s the best news she’s heard in… in her life, probably.</p><p>So Erza nods. “Thank you, granny.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>And they make their way to Crocus, where Erza immediately excuses herself and wanders off to find the city map, hoping the capital country would have a more complete chart of the villages.</p><p>(It didn’t.)</p><p>“I finally made it…” she whispers. Looking around, noticing the various looks-- she squirms in her spot, ducking into an alley.</p><p>The granny had given her a shawl to cover up the more-ripped portions of her top, but it’s not enough to hide how ragged her slave dress is, much less the multiple scrapes, bruises, and of course, the bare feet and sunken wrists. Has she mentioned the eyepatch yet?</p><p> </p><p>After waking up on the beach and finding a way to get out of her shackles, Erza had made it to the nearest city to realize at least she’s still in Ishgar.</p><p>(So is the Tower of Heaven in Ishgar? She’s not sure.)</p><p>But where is Rosemary Village? Maybe if she can’t find anything, she can find home.</p><p>And she doesn’t know. She’s learned a lot in her life, definitely the map of the town as well. But those memories, along with the things she wants to forget, pretends to forget, and can’t forget-- she’s lost in the present and not sure where to wander.</p><p>She doesn’t know where home is anymore. She finds a country map in Hargeon to find she’s in Fiore-- that sounds right, but she’s not sure. All the town names sound unfamiliar, and no matter how long she stares, she can’t find Rosemary.</p><p>(It’s near Crocus. Rosemary is near Crocus, so maybe once she finds it, she can go home and cry and--)</p><p>(--she doesn’t want to think about the most likely situation, where Rosemary is gone and that’s why it’s not in the newest maps. The town is burned, everyone is dead, and the crushing fact that she is really, truly, alone in this world.)</p><p>
  <em>(“This is the freedom you wanted, Erza.”)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She bites down on her lip and clutches the shawl closer to her chest. No. No, she can do this. She can go on without crying, she can go on strong, she can go on alone, biding through the pain and pretending she still deserves to live.</p><p>She rubs her eye to find tears, and rubs them away again.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“And there we have Eir Macmillan of Fairy Tail, going against Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki of Blue Pegasus! Now cast your votes cause we’re spinning that roulette in three, two, ONE!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>A loud cheer brings her attention to the large lacrima vision screen.</p><p>In the center of the arena stood two men, tall, wearing fancy clothing, and similar in stature. One had a head of kempt orange hair, the other had a slightly long, rather overgrown head of white, pulled to his back..</p><p> </p><p>Erza’s seen the arena on the way in. It’s the tournament granny was heading for.</p><p> </p><p>A single slot roulette whirls on the screen. At the countdown, it ends on a picture of two circles, one inside of the other.</p><p><b><em>“Oh oh OOOHH!”</em></b> the overexcited announcer screams, <b><em>“the weather’s set for circulation! Who could’ve imagined this?! It’s the ideal stage for a Wind Mage and a Fumes Mage, which pertains to both our combatants today!”</em></b></p><p>And a strong gust of wind whirls to life on the area, kicking up sand, making hair and loose clothing flutter against the ground.</p><p>Erza’s eyes are fixed on the boy with white hair, and the long, japanese-styled sword on his waist. She can’t hear what they’re saying on the field, but both of them smile as they stand against each other, talking.</p><p><b><em>“I wouldn’t say that so soon,” </em></b>the second announcer corrects<b><em>, “Eir may be a Wind Mage, but his style of battle is primarily defensive, despite its high damage potential. A windy stage will hold him back, if nothing else.”</em></b></p><p><b><em>“And Ichiya, despite being a Fumes mage, is a short-ranged fighter,” </em></b>the third announcer, a female voice, provides her input. <b><em>“He doesn’t operate solely on ranged attacks as most do-- so it’ll be a step out of his comfort zone for this one.”</em></b></p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>There’s a countdown lacrima in the center of the field, and Erza watches as it releases a siren noise as a signal to start-- and both of them dash forward.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“And they’re closing the distance immediately! Was there a point to the field?!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>Eir pulls his sword, but it’s still sheathed. Ichiya pops off a bottle of something, a bronze wisps of air wrapping around his arms for a short moment-- before he speeds up the magic powering his steps.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Oh-ho, that’s Ichiya’s Fleet-Foot Perfume! This might be the first time we see Eir without an upper hand in speed!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>Eir swirls, skidding to a stop, dragging his sheathe against the ground as a brake-- then it glows morphs-- and to Erza’s fascination, it changes shape. Eir swings the spear forward in his momentum, and Ichiya, dashing forward too quickly, ram stomach-first right into it.</p><p>Ichiya is sent flying, but another bottle pops, and he lands, almost too gracefully, on his hands and feet.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“As expected, Eir doesn’t let it affect him! But Ichiya’s not letting himself go down either. Buff upon buff upon buff, what could we be missing in the air?"</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>Erza’s eyes are stuck on Eir Macmillan.</p><p>He stands straight, his beautiful, <em>beautiful</em> spear held behind him, the white rod held in by sheer blue wrappings and a gold line in its details. The musical note at its crest was out of place, but did nothing to dull its appearance.</p><p>Erza never knew a simple change in weapon could make someone so <em>elegant</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Eir whirls it to his back, takes it to his other arm-- and starts running again.</p><p>Ichiya meets him in the middle, but this time, Ichiya slips under his arm to spin against the floor, landing a square kick in Eir’s gut-- and instantly spinning up to hook his foot right into Eir’s jaw.</p><p>She gasps-- but that wasn’t the end. The spear gleams for just a second and the sword is in his hands again. A magic circle later, Ichiya is shot into the air by a swirling jet of gleaming white wind.</p><p>Eir has his hand held painfully at the new bruise on his chin, and his scene framed by Ichiya flailing as he falls to the ground. The little man on a floating platform floats over, and signs something to the announcer’s panel.</p><p>The camera then zooms in on Ichiya’s dizzy face, showing he’s out of commission.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“AAaaand! That’s it, folks! The winner of this battle is Eir Macmillan of Fairy Tail!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>Erza looks at the scene-- and fascination takes over her entire being.</p><p>That was a battle between two mages, but it was much more familiar to her than she had thought. A close, tactical battle where no one knows who’s winning until the end, and magic is just the cherry on top.</p><p>It was something-- it was something <em>she </em>could see herself doing</p><p> </p><p>A final shot of Eir is seen again. He winces, lifting the end of his shirt a little-- Erza flinches at the row of excited screams from the crowd, from the screen and all around her-- to show a bruise, and he inspects it with a cringe.</p><p>But right beside the bruise is a guild mark-- and Erza’s breath stops for a different reason.</p><p>She’s seen that mark before-- and now she knows why <em>Fairy Tail</em> sounds familiar, too. She had been so focused on trying to find what she had left-- she hadn’t thought about where she could go next.</p><p>Grandpa Rob’s mage guild.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>If… if Rosemary’s gone, then maybe… </em>
</p><p>(Maybe?)</p><p> </p><p>She turns away from the screen.</p><p>
  <em>Rosemary first.</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. heavy rain.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir doesn't like to fight. He uses magic to survive, to protect-- but never to stand above others. That's why he doesn't want to be an S-class wizard-- he doesn't want any of that prestige.</p><p>Laxus bitterly realizes that they've never seen the full extent of Eir's abilities, and perhaps, there was a good reason for that.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b><em>“Fiore’s very first Inter-Guild S-class advancement exam,”</em></b> the cheerful announcer declares happily, <b><em>“after a long, long LONG preliminary challenge and EVEN LONGER round of various matchups, here we show you, the long-awaited Top Twelve wizards!”</em></b></p><p>Eir groans into his arm as he waits to be called on.</p><p>He wanted to lose right away in the preliminaries, but it was a horde of magic beasts, and while he was trying to get things over and done with one Gale Burst…. He ended up finishing just in time to be in the top twelve bracket. He was going to <em>cry</em>.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Pulling up right at the end is Phantom Lord! We have the Earth Mage, Sol of the Land; and the air mage: Aria of the Heavens!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>He frowns at that.</p><p><em>Who invited Phantom? Oh right, they’re legal. </em>He keeps forgetting that.</p><p>He sighs as the abnormally slim man bounds up to the center of the arena, fixing his monocle as the crowd cheers.</p><p>Eir looks out as it’s almost his cue.</p><p>The other guilds have been announced-- Hound Holy, Titan Nose… Two of the girls have their names in Sorcerer’s wanna-be-my-girlfriend rankings, so he’s worked with them before. Then the lone guy in the pack is Bora the Prominence, though… doesn’t he have a pretty bad record or something?</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Pulling up is Quatro Cerberus! Bacchus Groh and Rocker will be with us today! Ain’t that a Wild combination?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>Eir stretches, getting ready to go.</p><p>So Cerberus made it in too… he’d crossed paths with Bacchus in the preliminaries and he was drunk. Eir wonders if he has a mode other than that.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Hailing from Fairy Tail, we have Eir Macmillan!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>He enters the stage.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The crowd roars, and he finds the Fairy Tail stand in the crowd, where his kids were probably the loudest voices in that area. Except Laxus, who was being quiet.</p><p>Eir waves at him.</p><p>He waves back after a second.</p><p>Eir smiles-- at least until Ichiya and Jura come in and the tournament bracket is announced. It’s a classic 1v1 competition where the winner advances-- oh, whoever’s the poor guy that has to deal with Jura in round one, let everyone pat him on the back.</p><p>“It seems like you’re my first opponent, Eir,” Ichiya says, posing dramatically as he wishes his bangs out of his face.</p><p>Eir checks the tournament bracket and his face scrunches up in displeasure.</p><p><em>This tournament bracket is rigged</em>, he mirthfully realizes, because he’s wrapping the ends with Jura. <em>Which means they’re hoping for a Jura vs Eir final battle before it even damn well begins-- what the hell?</em></p><p>“Are they allowed to do that?” he asks.</p><p>“For the publicity, young Eir,” Ichiya says, as if he knows exactly what Eir had just thought, “everything herein is just a show, after all. The matchups don’t matter here-- your guild masters will be watching your battle closely, and if they deem you qualified, you can be an S class even if you lose.”</p><p>“Wha-- then what’s the point?!” Eir throws his hands into the air, “can I leave? I don’t even <em>want</em> to be S-class.”</p><p>“No can do, young Eir,” and there’s Jura, grinning in his regal, sagely manner, “you might not be interested, but you can do enough to help the Masters judge the other candidates, won’t you?”</p><p>Eir makes a face that indicates he would rather die horribly than give a shit.</p><p>Jura barks out a laugh. “Don’t complain now, it’s all a part of your ambassador duties,” he says, ruffling the boy’s hair. “I’ll be waiting for you in the finals, Eir.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s a high declaration,” Ichiya says, approaching them with a confident smirk, “have you forgotten who he’s facing in round one, Jura-san?”</p><p>Jura grins.</p><p>Eir groans. “Don’t issue a challenge to everyone in the bracket for me, Jura. Look at them, they’re all mad now.”</p><p>He gestures at the other contestants, who were watching them with narrowed gazes, menacing glances, and stiff postures.</p><p>Jura laughs, “well, that’s the spirit!”</p><p>“He’s evil, isn’t he?” Ichiya whispers audibly to Eir.</p><p>Eir mutters right back, “and no one ever believes me.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>His battle with Ichiya was harder than he thought.</p><p>It would be one thing if it were a normal battle, but to make things interesting (who the hell came up with this? This is a test, right?) they spin a roulette on the lacrima vision to determine the latent weather condition of the field.</p><p>A mild sandstorm. A river field with lots of mud and stone. A forest field with an occasional boar in the mix. Or the perfect field for Ichiya-- the light breeze that flows in eternal circulation around the perimeters.</p><p>And who the hell are these announcers? They’re getting everything wrong.</p><p>Eir’s magic was too strong to ride the already-present breeze. It’s only getting in his way by creating wind resistance. And Ichiya being primarily a short-ranged fighter? He’s a fumes mage, for god’s sake. He thrives upwind!</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“AAaaand! That’s it, folks! The winner of this battle is Eir Macmillan of Fairy Tail!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p>Eir stumbles his way back toward the waiting room. Just a nasty bruise and a really bad headache-- he falls against the wall.</p><p>“So Ichiya’s knocked out, but Eir’s in a much worse shape, eh?”</p><p>He looks up to see Jura, and he groans, planting a hand at his eye.</p><p>“Oh, shut up,” Eir groans. “Just let my guard down.”</p><p>“It’s unlike you to get kicked twice before responding,” Jura offers him a hand, and Eir takes it just to get back up on his feet.</p><p>He sets his hand on the wall for balance.</p><p>“Who knows what the hell Ichiya put in the air,” Eir mutters, wiping away some blood at--. yikes, a split lip. This with the bruise in his ribs? Ugh, he wants to go home. “He got me good. I didn’t even notice until my ankle gave in at that last step.”</p><p>Jura laughs at that. “He’s a good fighter, no matter what everyone says. You did well winning there.”</p><p>Eir scoffs, walking onward with a hand at his stomach. “Whatever,” he tosses a hand back in lieu of a goodbye, “good luck on yours. Don’t lose till the finals, got it?”</p><p>Jura smiles. “Wouldn’t miss our fight for the world, Eir.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Eir.”</p><p>Eir had been finishing up the bandages around his stomach when the voice came through the door. Laxus walks in, none of the kids in tow.</p><p>“The others went to get Levy and Sherry,” Laxus says before Eir could get the question out. Eir hums to acknowledge the answer, pulling his shirt back over his head.</p><p>“They’ll be here by the next battle, then,” Eir says, “it’s a relief they got a half-day today. Sherry was really looking forward to it.”</p><p>“Eir.”</p><p>Just one word, his name-- that doesn’t mean anything good.</p><p>Laxus looks him in the eye, and there’s a mountain of a burden in them. Eir stares back, and he knows what he’s going to say.</p><p> </p><p>“My next opponent is from Phantom, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>A rhetorical question. Laxus nods. “It’s also an Air mage-- Aria of the Heavens or something,” he tells him. “We don’t know his deal, but his previous opponent’s in the hospital. Gramps has a really bad feeling about him.”</p><p>An <em>Air</em> mage. (Air, and <em>specifically</em> not a Windmage?)</p><p>“They’re saying he might have Magic Deficiency, but in the middle of a battle? That’s weird,” Laxus says. He shrugs, “we all think Aria did something.”</p><p>“Oh,” Eir says, vaguely, “so he’s like me?”</p><p>Laxus raises his brow. “Huh? I mean, the announcer says he’s a wind mage too, but he hasn’t used anything remotely like your or Ren’s magic--”</p><p>“Laxus,” he interrupts, “air and wind-- do you know the difference?”</p><p>Laxus blinks.</p><p>Eir sighs. “They’re not entirely interchangeable. My enchants are Wind Magic; Ren’s magic is Air magic. I wield the currents to make a blade-- Ren takes hold of a fixed amount of space-- and changes its properties.”</p><p>Laxus looks even more confused now. “Is that why yours is sharp and his is soft?” Then a second later, “wait, you’re being confusing. What do you mean, he’s like you--”</p><p>Eir pats him on the head. He sets his cookies aside, untouched.</p><p>“Nothing much. Go watch from the stands, Laxus. Say hi to Levy and Sherry for me.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>And Laxus did.</p><p>He watched from the stands, slightly irritated. He had gone all the way to warn Eir of his next opponent, only to get the kid treatment and sent back with cryptic responses, just like usual. When will Eir stop treating him like a kid?</p><p>Sherry returned to the Lamia stand, where Toby and Yuka were ready to reel her in. Ren and Karen sat in the Blue Pegasus stand, watching eagerly as Eir came out again.</p><p> </p><p>The field was a concrete labyrinth, surrounded by nothing but gray walls and narrow paths and no exit. There was an overcast, and it was going to rain.</p><p> </p><p>Cana and Laxus watched with bated breath. Levy, Gray, and Bickslow didn’t know much of their strained relationship with Phantom Lord, so they were naively excited.</p><p>But Aria was bad news. Very bad news.</p><p>(His previous opponent was green to the face, and the latest update of the situation was that he’s had severe magic deficiency disease-- he’ll be fine, just barely.)</p><p>Eir was fine. He can win-- Eir hasn’t lost in a fight, ever. Not even against Phantom and their stupid cheats, their brutal fights, and their tendency to abuse their opportunities.</p><p>Eir would be fine.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>(And in a way, Laxus was right.)</p><p>(Eir won.)</p><p> </p><p>The rain came down as a roaring downpour. They couldn’t quite hear the announcer over everything, but they didn’t need to-- he wasn’t saying a thing.</p><p>No one moved an inch, the air was thick, the rain was thick.</p><p>If you threaded a hand through it, it’d gather in your hands like the fabric of a curtain. Except, nothing lay beyond it but sheer, poisonous dread.</p><p> </p><p>Eir’s hand-- just one hand-- held Aria up by the head.</p><p>The other man was limp, arms by his side-- was he unconscious? Well, if the screaming earlier was anything to say-- he’s completely out.</p><p>Eir drops him.</p><p>And Aria collapses like a dead body, wordless.</p><p> </p><p>The lacrima vision stayed too far away, unable to get any closer due to the rain. As if even the cameras were scared of him-- they stayed, painfully far away from the scene.</p><p>Is Aria dead? They didn’t know for sure.</p><p>
  <em>(Someone… someone, go check? Please? But no one dared to go.)</em>
</p><p>Eir turns away, and leaves the arena.</p><p>There were no cheers.</p><p>Just the dreadful panic of the crowd as someone screams for the medical team. Someone rushes forward, but who? There’s a lot of action as the crowd panics, wondering if they’d just witnessed a murder in the field.</p><p>Aria is taken to the hospital.</p><p>Laxus stares Eir as he leaves, silent, cold-- and, and nothing like what they’ve ever known of him.</p><p>Gray whirls back to the arena, rushing off to Eir’s waiting room. Bickslow and Levy follow, but Laxus doesn’t realize the rest of the guild’s all gone until Cana’s taking him by the arm, dragging him in the same direction.</p><p> </p><p>All that lingered was one line in his head.</p><p>
  <em>(“So he’s like me?” Eir had said.)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The rain continued to pour.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. not human.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gray bumps into a girl with red hair. <br/>Eir's match goes horribly wrong, horribly quickly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>tw/panic attack, ptsd</i>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Somewhere outside of the Domus Flau Arena, four children walked down the street.</p><p>It was mostly empty, the crowd all huddled near the large lacrima screen showing the interior of the arena.</p><p> </p><p>Gray retrieved the can of Citrus Juice from the vending machine. He’s never been a fan of the medicine-tasting carbonated drink, but everyone knows that Levy loves it.</p><p>He sets it on Bickslow’s doll, reaching for coins to get the other drinks.</p><p>Cana and Laxus had gone ahead to pick up Levy and Sherry-- Cana because she likes the school courtyard, Laxus because he’s tall-- and that leaves Gray and Bickslow here on errand boy duties.</p><p>“Man, Jura’s really strong,” Bickslow said-- where the hell had he been-- as he came back over. “His match against that slimy earth guy was an easy win over there.”</p><p>Gray scowled at him, because obviously Bickslow went to watch without him. Bickslow was unaffected by the glare though, because he’s blind-- wait, if he’s blind, how does he--</p><p>“You can watch LV with your eyes closed?” Gray asked.</p><p>Bickslow looked at him like he was asking a dumb question, “of course I can.”</p><p>Gray felt like his entire world shifted to the left a bit.</p><p>Jura versus Sol and Eir versus Aria were two matches that people were quite looking forward to. Earth mage against Earth Mage, Wind Mage against Air Mage-- of course, no one’s expecting the two fan-favourites to lose, but it’s certainly interesting.</p><p>Gray tucked his wallet back into his pocket, ready to go back. At this point, they might just barely make it back in time for Eir’s match.</p><p>“So, are Levy and Sherry here already?”</p><p>“Yeah, they’re just-- ooh, careful!”</p><p>Bickslow warned him quickly, but Gray didn’t respond in time. The corner is turned and Gray crashes right into a figure that really shouldn’t have been running there.</p><p>Gray didn’t fall, but the dolls jiggled a little in surprise and dropped a can of coffee. The girl he’d bumped into jerked back, losing her balance-- and she fell back.</p><p>“My bad!” Gray says quickly, reaching forward.</p><p> </p><p>Bickslow picked up the fallen cans, directing his dolls backward. They’re very menacing to people who don’t know what they are, so he usually kept them away from strangers.</p><p>The girl on the ground had her hands clutched at the brown shawl around her shoulders. And when she looked up, Gray flinched unintentionally. Maybe it was the soft glare she was sending, or the way her head hung down to the side, trying hard to hide the eyepatch on her right eye but only drawing more attention to it.</p><p>Gray averted his eyes. He knew that was rude to stare at.</p><p>But in the process, he saw something worse.</p><p>She wasn’t wearing shoes. Anything that could be seen on her hands are covered in scars. Her clothes, other than the shawl, were in terrible shape.</p><p>“Sorry,” she said-- and her voice was cold. Her face was empty, seeing this as nothing more than a minor inconvenience. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”</p><p> </p><p>She stood up without taking Gray’s hand, nodded politely, and continued on her way.</p><p>Gray reacted immediately. “Wait--”</p><p>She stopped walking, but didn’t turn around.</p><p>“May I help you?” she sounded irritated, like a waitress after a long shift and a minute before she got to clock out.</p><p>Gray hesitated. “Uh--” he didn't know what to say and Bickslow wasn’t even saying anything to help. Is it appropriate to ask where she came from or if she had parents? Cana certainly said it was, but what else can he say?</p><p>“If you don’t need anything--”</p><p>Gray interrupted, “take one of the drinks with you,” he said, regretting it a second after it came out of his mouth. Bickslow made the very obvious head tilt of ‘what the hell, Gray’, but he ignored it.</p><p>“Huh?” even the girl was taken aback.</p><p>Gray took the coffee from Bickslow’s doll and held it out her way.</p><p>“It’s dented now,” he said, scoffing and looking away. “If I bring it back like this, they’ll make fun of me. So just take it.”</p><p>The girl just stared, bewildered. So Gray stepped forward, shoved it at her chest because her hands were buried in the shawl, and turned away.</p><p>It was cold, and she squealed just a little, fumbling to pick it up before it fell again.</p><p>“C’mon, Bicks, we gotta go!”</p><p>She looked up to another surprise. There’s a jacket on the ground, and the boy walked away without a shirt for a few seconds-- then he paused and seemed to realize it was gone.</p><p>“Wait, where did my clothes go?” he asked.</p><p>Bickslow laughed, “your shirt’s all the way back at the vending machine, bub,” he grinned, tongue out teasingly. He pointed in the girl’s general direction, “but your jacket is over with-- hey, wait up!”</p><p> </p><p>Erza reached down to pick up the jacket, but as she lifted her head, both of them were gone. She had no idea where they were going, so no sense in catching up to them.</p><p>Looking at the jacket, she knew it was a little too big on herself, but it could fit. The mountains would be cold, so it would certainly come in handy.</p><p>(Should she steal it or leave it here?)</p><p>She held it to her chest beside the can of coffee in her hand.</p><p>Both of them had Fairy Tail marks, she didn’t miss those. Maybe… maybe she can borrow this for a while, and then. And then drop by Fairy Tail later to return it.</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, sounds like an idea.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She looked at the sky, noticing the gray clouds overhead.</p><p>She should find shelter before it pours.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Laxus, Gray lost his jacket again!”</p><p>“Laxus, Bicks is being a tattletale!”</p><p>The teen groaned at the sight of Gray, one shirt down, and Bickslow, juggling cans of juice like the jester he is. Utterly defeated by the aspect of needing to buy another wardrobe for this idiot-- and it’s going to be winter soon, too-- he groaned, “again?”</p><p>Cana however, had been waiting impatiently since forever.</p><p>“Ugh, who cares about that now?” she said, scowl on her face. Her hand was still on Levy’s, but her other is on her hip. “C’mon, you two, we’re going to be late!”</p><p>“T- That’s right!” Levy said, imitating Can’s annoyance, “Eir’s match is starting already! We shouldn’t be tardy.”</p><p>Laxus stared at her. School Life is affecting her vocabulary-- she’s actually using the word <em>tardy</em> in a sentence. He hasn’t heard that word in years.</p><p>“Well, Levy, it's fine. Friendly teasing is also a form of <em>love</em>, after all,” here came Sherry, decked out in almost the same magic school uniform as Levy.</p><p>It contrasted her usual gothloli image greatly, so with the power of Lamia Scale’s numerous handy helpers, she outed the ribbon and set her collar to pin with a sapphire gemstone at her chest. Combined with a dark parasol in fair weather and she was the epitome of a gothic lady, no questions asked.</p><p>“Oh lord Sherry please <em>never</em> say that again,” Gray shivered, “why can’t you speak <em>normally</em>?”</p><p>Sherry beamed, “it’s love!”</p><p>Gray made a noise of death.</p><p>“Stop dallying!” Cana whined. Bickslow’s dolls gave her her drink and handed the citrus juice to Levy, so she pointed at the stadium. “Whatever then. Levy, let’s go!!”</p><p>Laxus had been nursing a headache, but he snapped out of it as Cana left the group and got eaten into the crowd. “Hey Cana! Don’t run off like that, you’re gonna get lost!”</p><p>“Shut up Laxus, we’re not babies!” came the distant shout.</p><p>Laxus quickly denied, “I’m not trying to--” but Gray immediately ran after them, and Laxus didn’t get Bickslow before he followed after them too. “Hold on--” Sherry, not wanting to be left behind, took one of Bickslow’s dolls in her hands and let it lead her through.</p><p>Laxus stood alone there for a full two seconds.</p><p>Then he snapped. “STAY STILL, YOU BRATS!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Her</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>e we have Eir Macmillan against Aria of the Heavens! Wind mage against Air mage, who will win?!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>Eir groaned against the concrete wall. This field was a pain in the ass-- walls higher than a house, narrow roads, and no exit-- they should really have claustrophobia warnings around because this is a total red flag for disaster.</p><p>(Jura would love this field, wouldn’t he?)</p><p>Honestly, it’s the worst possible field for a wind mage like Eir.</p><p>He drew his sword. “Maybe I’ll just destroy everything,” he muttered, charging up his sword with magic. A disaster, debris-filled field would certainly be more ideal than a suffocating bunch of walls.</p><p> </p><p>And Aria of the Heavens-- his air magic would certainly be a pain.</p><p>He might use the same magic as Ren, but Ren is adorable in comparison. There’s a reason why most of Air magic is lost-- they were either too invasive, too cruel, or… well, other things.</p><p>Eir knows.</p><p>And he wishes Ren never does.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so sad!”</p><p>Eir snapped his head upward-- and Aria was on top of the walls-- his large, hulking figure had managed to climb up, and was standing over him with tears streaming down his blindfolded eyes.</p><p>And with a distant rumble of thunder, the rain began to fall. It blew quickly into a drizzle, and was getting heavier by the second.</p><p>Eir cringed. It was cold.</p><p>“Your weakness, your strength-- they’re so, so sad…”</p><p>Aria vanished.</p><p>Eir swirled around to find Aria right behind, hands splayed out before him and a large magic circle spreading into the world. Eir steps back-- the wall. He turns to the left, but he doesn’t manage to get the distance in time.</p><p>“...allow me to liberate you.”</p><p>And nothing but pain assaulted his senses.</p><p>It took a moment to realize the screaming came from his own throat, and the agonizing drain in his veins was familiar-- familiar, too familiar.</p><p>His magic power was leaving him, churn by churn and-- empty.</p><p> </p><p>“Let your magic power return to zero,” Aria said, “<b><em>Airspace: Metsu</em></b>.”</p><p> </p><p>There’s a scream in the crowd. A yell of worry, the announcer exclaimed in surprise. They’re not obligated to act just yet-- they don’t know what’s happening, after all. Until one body falls, this is still a battle.</p><p>The rain blurred his vision, the thunder clouded his ears, and the cold, the cold, the cold.</p><p>(His magic is leaving him, bit by bit by bit, into another person's veins. It's a process he knows and recognizes very well, and this pain is nothing new to him.)</p><p>(It's something he wishes he doesn't know. He'd rather suffer from too much magic than too little.)</p><p>Somewhere in the fog of sensations, Eir saw Levy’s worried face in the crowd. </p><p>(He wondered if somewhere out there, Adi Corcoran was looking too.)</p><p>The sparks in his veins hurt. They burn and boil and fight back against the drain, and sooner or later, they’ll reach his heart, and maybe a normal human would die of shock.</p><p>If Eir was an old man, maybe that’d have already happened.</p><p>If Eir had a normal amount of magic in his veins, maybe he’d already be dead.</p><p>Of all the times for his accursed Magic Overload to be useful… he knew this guy had Air Magic-- so just like he’d thought, this guy also had the ability to <em>take</em> magic.</p><p>It's the magic he dreads the most in the world.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(“Oh man, this one’s dead. We tossing it?”)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(“We don’t keep empty batteries around, dude. If it’s dead, get it out of there.”)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ah, he can’t run out of magic. He can't.</p><p>He snatched it back, just a little to slow it down, but the drain pulled on. His throat couldn’t even muster another scream anymore. He stood his ground and dragged his body back upright-- but he couldn’t do a thing.</p><p>His limbs won’t move. They stayed at his chest and he breathed in, breathed out--</p><p>--letting the magic be taken from him.</p><p>It’s all they have going for them, after all-- this enormous amount of power. If it wasn’t released periodically, they’d all be dead.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(No. No. No.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(He’s not there anymore.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(He's not supposed to let anyone take his magic like this.)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Abruptly, the magic was released, and Eir collapsed straight down to his hands and knees, choking on air and shivering to his bones.</p><p>The ground is laced with mud. His clothes are soaked and he’s freezing, pelted by the cruel shards of rain-- and his body aches in all the wrong ways.</p><p>He held a hand at his stomach. There’s a bruise from the previous battle. Then the scar beside it-- no. No, it’s not a scar. It’s his mark. It’s his Fairy Tail mark.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(It’s not a scar anymore. It’s not a scar anymore.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(He’s a member of Fairy Tail. he’s not. He’s not…)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Any more and you’ll die,” Aria said. “Please surrender. Master Jose does not look too fondly on your guild, but we have also received orders to not do too much on live lacrima view.”</p><p>Eir didn’t hear a word of that.</p><p>He couldn’t breathe through the tightness in his chest, and the world was spinning so hard his head was a hedgehog rolling through his flesh.</p><p>
  <em>(It hurt. It hurt. And it was cold.)</em>
</p><p>And he can't breathe.</p><p>He might cry.</p><p>
  <em>(The air can't come quickly enough into his veins and he knows Aria isn't doing anything to the air. His own lungs are just going too quickly. HIs blood is churning to quickly to do anything to help him breathe, so it's suffocating and he can't breathe.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(How nostalgic.) </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>There’s no magic in his veins-- until it churned right back, three times as painful, flooding through his veins like a bloated balloon near breaking point.</p><p>“Wh- What?!” Aria exclaimed, stepping back, “your magic-- how did you recover your magic so quickly? That’s impossible--!!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(“Let’s run away. We need to run away.”)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(“We’re not batteries anymore.”)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Eir lunged forward, catching Aria at the collar and dragging him down, four magic circles spiraling right to life at his hand.</p><p>Aria is seized by the magic, and gravity dragged him into the ground, leaving a crater as he sinks. </p><p>“Is stealing magic power fun to you?”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Aria never intended to kill anyone.</p><p>His guild was filled with unsavory characters and an unhealthy hatred for Fairy Tail-- but Aria was more interested in cold, silent revenge than malice-fueled destruction.</p><p>Ah, it’s so sad that anyone had to face him. It’s so sad that they have to come and attempt to fight against him, when it’s clear they’re no match.</p><p>It's so sad.</p><p> </p><p>He’s only ever been adept at Air magic-- and only at the one aspect of it that focused on taking magic from others. He’s not yet what everyone would call a master at the art-- Master Jose loved magic that could only be used to harm, and thus held Aria at a pedestal.</p><p>Seeing Eir Macmillan filled him with ire, and so much sadness.</p><p>Eir was blessed with so much magic power, adept at every form of wielding the winds-- Aria wondered what star he was born under to have such talent.</p><p>
  <em>(A dreadful star, he soon realized.)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Aria looked up-- blindfold released from his eyes-- and they were filled with fear.</p><p>Eir looked down on him, his eyes glistening just a little whiter than they’re supposed to be. The rims of his pupils gleaned with a hollow light, seething with fury under the shadows of his bangs.</p><p>“You want my magic?”</p><p>He didn’t have time to react. Aria was grabbed by the small, painfully powerful grip. It clenched, clawing into his eyes and grasping so tightly it could be felt in his skull.</p><p>The magic circles grew larger-- and then-- and then there was nothing but agony.</p><p>“Then take it,” Eir muttered, “all of my magic. Go right ahead. You want it, don't you? Drain it all, I've got plenty to spare.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Later, with a less clouded mind, Aria would recognize this magic. It’s the magic of something he’s only seen once, in a part of Ishgar that no longer has a name.)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Foreign magic invaded his veins, eating through his already present magic and forcing their place into his flow-- and then, they keep coming.</p><p>It’s not magic meant to be used like this.</p><p>
  <em>(It’s the magic to give magic. What can be kinder than this?)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(It’s the counterpart of magic draining-- yes. Aria remembers. There was once a bloodline in the east that passed this magic down as their best creation.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(So when that line of mages disappeared in history, the magic became lost as well.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(...huh? Then who is Eir?)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>And yet, here, Aria felt nothing but pain as the flow ripped through his own, too much, too much-- and how could someone ever have this much magic in their body? He’d already drained Eir of magic once. How did he still have so much magic to use?</p><p>Aria may have a large magic capacity, but even too much is too much.</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Eir whispered. “Magic Overload probably won’t kill you.”</p><p> </p><p>Finally, like some sort of sick mercy, the boy released the magic, and the spell circles vanished. But the pain lingered-- and blew through him in the form of a splitting headache, a shattering weakness in his limbs-- and then he was dropped, and he met the ground with a weak grunt of pain.</p><p>The rain was a frozen hail, and he lay on the mud feeling as if he was a foot away from death.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not a battery,” Eir muttered.</p><p>He wasn’t speaking to Aria. Aria was probably the last thing on his mind-- no, he didn’t even know who he was fighting anymore. Eir was gone from reality, blown back into something far away and too far away to be brought back from so soon.</p><p>Aria could see the possessed grief in those blown-out eyes. Had anyone ever seen Eir Macmillan so clouded by madness? Aria couldn’t move-- couldn’t reach up to punch that kid back into the field.</p><p>Did it matter?</p><p> </p><p>Eir held his hands at his ears and said to himself, to Aria, “I’m human.”</p><p> </p><p>It was like he was trying to remind himself.</p><p>“I’m human.”</p><p> </p><p>He turned around, and walked away.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. by his side.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir walks out of the fight in pieces.</p><p>But that's fine-- he was never a perfect puzzle to begin with. He just needs to gather all the fragments in his arms-- and once they come together solidly enough, he'll be able to walk again like nothing was ever wrong.</p><p>He just needs a nap, that's all.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He can’t think right now.</p><p>All he wants is to get out of the rain and hide.</p><p>The lights inside the arena are bright, the brick walls are a muted gray. But there’s colour-- a stark shade of blue and green and red, festival shades lining up with the tournament taking place.</p><p>(Ah, right.)</p><p>
  <em>He’s in a tournament right now.</em>
</p><p>“Eir!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Jura found him first. The participant stand was not far from the waiting rooms, so he caught Eir two doors before he’d made it</p><p>“Eir,” he took him by the shoulders, and tried not to flinch when the teen glanced over.</p><p>Eir’s eyes were wide but empty, his face pale even against his drenched bangs. He’d frozen at the touch, his eyes clouded over with a sense of disarray Jura had never seen in him before. Not angry, not irritated, not even tired-- they were<em> fearful</em>.</p><p>“...Eir?”</p><p>Jura had called out experimentally, and that seemed to work. Eir blinked slowly-- and finally-- finally his head lifted, and his eyes turned from the ground to meet Jura’s.</p><p>“Oh,” he whispered, his voice shaky, a little hoarse. He had screamed too, after all-- the pain was still in his veins, barely recovered. “Jura.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Who else could it have been?)</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Jura muttered, hesitant. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Eir’s hand reached over to his side, settling a hand on the hilt of his katana.</p><p>“Ah, yes,” he said.</p><p>Rather than a response, it sounded like something a person would say on instinct toward that question. Jura could tell that there was no emotion or honesty in the words-- and that unsettled him deeply.</p><p>Eir was the epitome of blunt honesty when it came to himself. Even when he was admitting his own weaknesses, he did so with irritation or fierce denial.</p><p>Now he was speaking, and his answers were empty.</p><p>Jura set a hand on Eir’s forehead, disappointed to learn that he wasn’t running a fever. Eir’s eyes narrowed at his action, which was a relief.</p><p>“What?” Eir said snappily, stepping back and batting the hand away gently.</p><p>Jura tucked his hand back into his sleeves.</p><p>“What did you do back there?” he asked, not bothering to spin around the topic. “That wasn’t your usual Wind Magic, was it?”</p><p>Eir looked up, as if in surprise-- then looked away.</p><p>“Yeah…” his left hand came up to his right elbow, and he shuffled his feet uncomfortably. </p><p>His face was slowly growing a little blue, like one would at the crest of catching a cold. His eyes darted about haphazardly, like it couldn’t decide where it wanted to land.</p><p>Jura’s gaze narrowed. “And what was it?”</p><p>
  <em>(Whatever it was, it looked cruel. Something that can cause invisible pain directly to another individual-- it’s not illegal, but it certainly is frowned upon.)</em>
</p><p>“Ah,” Eir said, swallowing his words. “Well…” he looked in every direction, nervously flickering his gaze-- and Jura had never seen him so distressed before. “...well, but Aria’s magic was Drain magic.”</p><p>(He’d changed the subject.)</p><p>“He probably took too much of my magic and got a bit of Magic Overload,” he said, sounding smoother in his words now.</p><p>Suspiciously so-- as if he’d just concocted the story and was now simply laying out the format. His words grew more confident as he went on, further proving that theory.</p><p>And most unsettling of all-- Eir was never so easy to read. He would never fluctuate his tone like this-- Eir wasn’t one for acting, and he knew it, so he never tried. Yet here he was-- faking it all out as if it weren't the most transparent thing in the universe.</p><p>“He’ll be okay. Any unused magic will dissolve into magic particles and return to the air after a while,” Eir said.</p><p>Then, as if he was done saying a piece, he stepped forward with the clear intention of walking toward the waiting room.</p><p> </p><p>But Jura interrupted sharply.</p><p>“That’s not what I asked.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir paused for a moment. There was no way he didn’t know he was caught there, without a way to comfortably excuse himself as an escape.</p><p>Yet, all he said was a final, defeated, “yeah,” with his gaze cast toward the ceiling.</p><p>Then a promise: “I’m not using it ever again.”</p><p>Jura turned around, but didn’t know the words to stop the boy from walking away.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The guild finally finds Eir in the infirmary.</p><p>“Your magic flow’s a wreck,” the nurse said, her hands on his. She frowned, releasing his hand to take a drag of her pipe. “Choice is yours, but you’re better off not participating in any more battles today.”</p><p>They walk in, hearing the tail end of the diagnosis.</p><p>Eir’s eyes lifted from the nurse, and he turned to the crowd that began to form around the doorway.</p><p>“What’s everyone doing here?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>(He looked as if he genuinely didn’t know why.)</p><p> </p><p>Gray is absolutely flabbergasted. Cana’s jaw dropped, and-- and Levy wailed. “Eir!” she charged into him, hugging him by the stomach and sobbing loudly into his stomach.</p><p>“What’s wrong, Levy?”</p><p>“What do you mean, what’s wrong!” Gray snapped at him, “what the-- how the-- why--” he made a frustrated noise. He struggled for a full minute before throwing his hands into the air, declaring that the problem was ultimately, “everything!”</p><p>“He’s right, Eir,” Macao stepped forward, “what was up with that? Are you alright?”</p><p><em>Is he alright?</em> Eir stood up, nodding in thanks to the nurse as she excused herself. He put a hand on Levy’s head as she sniffled.</p><p>“Well, my Magic Overload is acting up again, but that’s nothing new,” he said dismissively, “the next rounds for me aren’t until the day after anyways, so it’s fine.”</p><p>“That is not! The! PROBLEM!” Macao marched in, an angry step punctuating his words before his hands slammed down on the boy’s shoulders. “Were you possessed? Did the scary blindfold guy do something to you?!”</p><p>“That’s right!” Gray snapped, “you were so still! I mean, it’s not like you move all that much usually anyways but…”</p><p>“Your magic went all weird and you used that weird magic circle again!” Levy wailed.</p><p>“I saw your eyes! You were scary!”</p><p>“Yeah! Like that time we accidentally turned on the oven when Dart was still inside…”</p><p>“Wait, you guys did what?!”</p><p>“That was three years ago! And he’s fine. He didn’t stay in there for more than a second.”</p><p>Eir could only blink in confusion as the rest of the guild filed in, each giving similar words of trying-to-make-sure he’s still him. Which was totally uncalled for, but alright.</p><p>He found himself laughing when they began debating if exorcism was necessary.</p><p>Gray sputtered at something, embarrassed, and Cana began lecturing him tearfully about worrying and worsening his condition-- but Eir simply patted them on the head, crouched down, and took them in his arms.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m okay,” he told them, holding them closer than he’d ever done before. His breath came out just a little shakier than necessary, and he hoped no one heard it.</p><p>
  <em>He’s okay. He’ll be fine.</em>
</p><p>“I just need a nap, that’s all. I’m tired today.”</p><p> </p><p>He doesn’t notice when the adults breathe out, almost in relief.</p><p>He doesn’t notice the way Laxus and Bickslow stay outside, watching warily, the former grasping a strangely tight grip against the blade on his hip. When he began walking away with a dark look on his face, only Bickslow silently followed.</p><p>
  <em>(Eir’s hands were just so slightly trembling against Levy’s back.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(And that doesn’t go unnoticed by anyone.)</em>
</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The matches for today ended there.</p><p>The next day would be a rest day for the four finalists to recuperate from their wounds. The semifinals and finals would happen the day after that.</p><p>“So it’ll be Sol of the Land versus Rock-Iron Jura,” Wakaba noted on the tournament chart, “and then it’s Eir versus… Bacchus?”</p><p>“Between Sol and Jura, two earth mages-- I think it’s clear Jura will win there,” Macao hummed. “The question is Eir versus Bacchus.”</p><p>“Yeah…” Wakaba frowned with concern. “Eir’s known for his elegant style, but Bacchus is known for his unpredictability. They’re opposite ends of a whole spectrum.”</p><p>Macao sighed. “That’s talking if Eir will wake up before his match.”</p><p>Wakaba sputtered. “He’s <em>still</em> sleeping?!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Eir spent the next day sleeping.</p><p>For twenty-nine straight hours, he did not wake up. It was an abnormal amount of time for him-- and they knew this because of the many times they’ve snuck into his bed.</p><p>Eir never slept for more than two hours consecutively. He always went back to sleep simply to while away time, but he would wake up frequently in between.</p><p>He simply loved to sleep-- he did not need to function with much.</p><p>But this time, he slept like he really needed the rest to recover-- and no one could sit still from the worry. The kids stayed beside him the whole time-- thought Laxus and Bickslow were nowhere to be seen.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(Laxus and Bickslow would return the next day early in the morning, covered in wounds and mud and new scars, including a nasty bruise on their sides-- well, let’s just say everyone wrapped their wounds and didn’t ask.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(The Phantom-Fairy tension only got worse from then on, but no one quite cared.)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“His magic flow is strange,” Levy said, taking his hand while the teen slept. “I’ve never known the difference, but I learned some of this in school.”</p><p>She put it to her head, and for a moment, she just focused.</p><p>“Usually, magic flows beside the bloodstream, like an extra vein,” she told anyone that would listen, “but for Eir, his magic and his blood seems to flow together.”</p><p>Gray listened, reaching for a hand to see if he could try and sense it too. Emphatic magic like this was never his strong suit, but as a caster type, he could try.</p><p>“They’re not at the same speed or direction-- it runs wild, which gives him all these complicated symptoms,” Levy diagnosed. “But this isn’t normal. It’s like a deformity-- a hereditary one. And I think Magic Overload was just a side effect of it.”</p><p> </p><p>It was something none of them have ever thought fully about.</p><p>What exactly was Eir-- his disease, his history, his <em>everything</em>? It wasn’t something the members of Fairy Tail usually did-- one thing they unspokenly refused to do was pry into anyone’s business, ever. Eir was no exception.</p><p>But now it was biting them in the back and Eir was going to suffer without anyone knowing because he was such a stubborn fool.</p><p>It just didn’t sit right with any of them.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, Levy,” Cana interrupted her, sitting down on the bed. “Eir doesn’t want us to interfere in his business.”</p><p>Despite everything in their core that told them they had to address this, they shouldn't shove it into the corner and ignore it-- she knew this was the best for him. Eir’s done the same for her so many years ago, who would she be if she didn’t return the favour?</p><p>The past should be overcome with their own strength, not anyone else’s.</p><p> </p><p>“He just wants us to be by his side when he wakes up. You know him,” she inched closer.</p><p>That’s all Eir needs for now.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. regathering will.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir wakes up, and begins to put himself back together. </p><p>In the mountains nearby, Erza tries to do the same.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eir woke up with a jolt.</p><p>He’s sweaty. Disorientation came with the nightmare-- he was vaguely aware of it, but he couldn’t for the life of him remember what the dream was about.</p><p>Sitting up, he breathed out, slowly. Then he took a breath again.</p><p>Instinctively, he reached a hand-- oh, Cana’s laying on his right arm-- toward his guild mark, resting the warmth against the gently pulsing magic from the guild insignia.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Are you sure you want it here?” Master had asked, once upon a time. “It will cover the scars, but it won’t erase what’s left behind.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eir had nodded. “I’m sure.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn’t want to see it again. They will remain on his skin forever, but at least behind the guild mark, he can link it to better things forward.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Even now, he could feel the bumps in the skin over his side, a thin trail of holes, followed by hastily scratched out patterns of what used to be numbers and letters.</p><p>His mind drifted back to Adi, to the gruesome dig of a wound on her side. Had she cut it out with her skin? Is that what her scars were?</p><p>He shook his head from the thought.</p><p>There was no point in thinking of that and them and there. That was just another part of what used to be him-- like his previous life, it’s just a part and parcel of humanity-- but it is <em>no longer </em>part of him. He could just forget it, and no one would even care.</p><p>Because if he told no one, no one would ever know.</p><p>That’s how it should be.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>He spent the rest of his time watching the birds on the tree.</p><p>Cana was sleeping soundly, and Levy was a little further out, against the couch and Bickslow. Gray was asleep on the floor, curled up like a kitten. His shirt was nowhere to be seen (Eir soon made the connection that it was draped over Levy over there). </p><p>Laxus wasn’t around, but Eir knew he was nearby.</p><p>He enjoyed it-- being beside them like this, somewhere so close. He only wished they were all within arm’s reach, but that would be too clingy, wouldn’t it?</p><p>The sun was slowly rising over the edge of the mountain, and he could faintly hear the clatter of a town getting ready for the day. They were in the capital, after all-- there’s much more life here than back in Magnolia.</p><p> </p><p>There’s a shutter of tents being set up for morning markets. A man hollers at another to bring a box of something, somewhere. People chat. Carriages are being drawn by horses. People were waking up with the world, and everything was coated in a thin layer of slowly dissipating mist.</p><p>It was a nice, peaceful cacophony.</p><p> </p><p>Eir felt himself coming back into the world, and with each breath, he felt like he could go on again. Leave yesterday behind him, like every other day.</p><p>He’ll be fine. He’s always been fine, after all.</p><p>He lay back down, pulling his other arm around Cana-- and went back to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Eh?! I slept a whole day?”</p><p>Eir’s outside, sitting by the roof of a building he hasn’t quite read the name of yet.</p><p>He wanted to sneak outside and get some fresh air in his lungs before dealings with the repercussions of the day before. He had just begun to wonder about the soreness of his limbs when Jura decided to greet him with a boisterous good morning.</p><p>Where the man came from, Eir has no idea. How the man found him when Eir’s standing in the literal blind spot of the street, he does not want to know.</p><p>“I see you’re doing better today, Eir! That’s a relief.” The man said, “I’m looking forward to our next fight, so don’t lose today.”</p><p>There’s a pause.</p><p>Then, “oh right, the match is today, not tomorrow!” he really shouldn’t be shocked by the fact that time still flowed when he was sleeping, but there he was. He pouted, ready to be miserable today “Oh man, this sucks. I’m all sluggish.”</p><p>Can he still throw the match? Ah but the tradeoff was fighting Jura, so he shouldn’t.</p><p>His muscles were weak from the inactivity. Even now, each step felt like a new weight on the balls of his feet. He’ll be back to normal in a few more laps, but...</p><p>“Is that going to deter you?” Jura challenged.</p><p>Eir smiled back. It’s not a forced smile-- he barely even noticed his lips were curled upward. “Of course not,” he promised. “You should just save your magic and wait.”</p><p>Jura laughed, “will do, Eir!”</p><p>It was nice to have someone that would always treat you like an equal.</p><p>Jura was calm and fueled with their rivalry even after Eir’s violent display-- and Eir really, really appreciated that more so than anything else. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Somewhere in the mountains, a girl with red hair clings tightly to the jacket that didn’t suit her figure. Her breath came as a white wisp in the cold breeze of the evening mountains. She ignored the blisters growing under her feet, and treks on.</p><p> </p><p>Her stomach growled.</p><p>But that’s fine. She knows the road from here-- she used to walk along this road with Simon and some of the other older kids, gathering mushrooms for the orphanage.</p><p>She knew this road.</p><p>She knew this road, and she was almost there. Just a little further and she should see--</p><p>“There!” she chased the faint shadow in the distance, nearly tripping over the shawl in the process but gathering herself quickly enough to keep going.</p><p>She found it-- the signpost, a little run-down, made of wood that was splintered in parts but held the clearly carved and ink words that read Rosemary Village.</p><p>The tears burned in her eyes.</p><p>She was home, finally. She wiped away her tears before they fell, running a hand over the words to make sure she wasn’t misreading, and wasn't seeing things.</p><p> </p><p>Okay, last stretch. Just get over this last hill, and she’ll see it.</p><p> </p><p>Her feet protested, the stinging pain never fading as they carved across the rocky terrains. But she didn’t complain. She hadn’t whined about anything yet and she wasn’t going to start now.</p><p>“I’m back! Rosemary Villa--!!”</p><p>Her voice died out in her throat.</p><p>She took in the little, paltry village-- no, the ruins of what were a village-- in the distance.</p><p>Roofs were caved in, trees felled and rotted through. What looked like fields were muddled and tramples, and what remained of many houses were just char and soot.</p><p>It wasn’t just destroyed-- no one had been left, and no outsiders from outside had even bothered to check, to come over and clean up what remained of the devastation.</p><p> </p><p>(Rosemary just didn’t matter to the rest of the world, definitely not as much as it mattered to Erza.)</p><p> </p><p>She stared with her one good eye, taking in each and every spot that she used to call hers. She made sure to burn this image into her veins, to let the ache in her heart fester, fester, and fester some more.</p><p>She didn’t cry.</p><p>She was alive, and she had kicked down several hundred of her friends to make it here. She shouldn’t complain that nothing was left for her to come back to.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(“This is the freedom you wanted, Erza.”)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the place that used to be her village. She held back the tears, and watched the wind blow across the hollow areas, singing a song of lamentation only nature could offer for them.</p><p>She stayed there until the sun came up.</p><p>Then she began to make her way down the mountain once more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. adopting one.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p><b>Exhibit A:</b> Levy and Sherry want seven bunnies.<br/><b>Exhibit B:</b> Gray and Cana pick up another kid.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Eir, what’s that? Can I have one?”</p><p>“Eir, Eir! That shop over there is selling something really cool-looking!”</p><p> </p><p>It’s sort of nostalgic.</p><p> </p><p>Eir found himself dragged around by all of the kids. He hadn’t gotten a chance to see Crocus by the streets aside from his morning runs, so this was a great chance to make up for all the lost time.</p><p>“It’s already this messy… Karen and Ren aren’t even here yet, and I’m exhausted.”</p><p>(They would be here tomorrow in time for the finals, caught up in an urgent mission in regard to a magazine shooting they had to do.)</p><p>Cana and Gray excitedly wandered around town, eager to show Levy and Sherry around the places they’ve discovered just yesterday. Bickslow kept an eye on them, deploying one doll to accompany each of them.</p><p>Laxus followed a little behind them, and Eir didn’t miss the way his glare sharpened each time the older stepped away from their path.</p><p>Seriously overprotective, the lot of them.</p><p>It reminded him of the days where Eir would be grounded for something, and Cana and Laxus would be sent on distract-Eir duty. It usually consisted of them wandering around town, hand-in-hand, making Eir buy them anything that caught their eye.</p><p>He loves this.</p><p> </p><p>“Eir Eir Eir please please please can we have one <em>please</em>?!”</p><p> </p><p>He takes that back immediately.</p><p>Levy and Sherry have somehow managed to gather up a whole armful of bunnies in their arms, from white to gray to black, all those furry little critters crawling around them as their eyes sparkled in adoration.</p><p>Eir had to look away from their eyes. “No,” he said, making sure to sound as firm as he can manage, “you cannot have them.”</p><p>And here came the despaired wails. “But whyyyyy!!!”</p><p>“They’re so cute, Eir! Just look at them!”</p><p>“Just one! No, two!” Sherry tried to bargain, before faltering and adding it up to “I mean, six! Please? Promise we’ll take care of them!”</p><p>“Seven, seven!” Levy corrected quickly, “pleeeeease?!”</p><p>Eir had to put his foot down, “all of you get exactly <em>one</em> thing today, no more!”</p><p>“Then I want a colony!”</p><p>“That is not what I meant by <em>one thing</em>!”</p><p> </p><p>Seriously, this was starting to become a headache. Eir’s wallet is not at the risk of running dry, but it would be if they suddenly took in a hundred rabbits into the guild. Plus, he wasn’t ready to teach the kids about responsibility yet.</p><p>(Yes, he knows that’s his job. God knows Macao sucks at that.)</p><p>“Of course, that includes you as well, Laxus,” Eir remembered to tell him. “If you want anything, I’ll get it for you.”</p><p>Laxus scowled, “I can buy my <em>own</em> things, Eir.”</p><p>“I know, Laxus, I’m proud of you for that,” Eir said without missing a beat, “but I feel like spending some money today, and well, no one would notice if you slipped a really nice coat into the pile while I was distracted.”</p><p>Laxus scoffed at that. “I <em>said</em> I don’t need anything.”</p><p>Eir hummed. “Bickslow,” he called out, and the boy in the distance turned around eagerly like a beckoned puppy, “pick something out of the clothing store for our resident thunder god, will you? He’s been wearing the same shirt for years and I’m getting sick of it.”</p><p>“Aye, sir!”</p><p>Laxus sputtered, going after the teen immediately, “I said I don’t need anything!”</p><p> </p><p>Levy and Sherry were still quarreling over which bunny or hamster they wanted to use their wishes for, so Eir watched them to make sure they didn’t stress the animals out too much with their shouting.</p><p>His match was in two hours, so he’d need to go soon.</p><p>“Take your time deciding now,” he chided as the girls began to growl at each other. “We’ll still be here for a few days, after all.” And if they didn’t decide by then, he’ll cave and get them a bunch anyways.</p><p>(He didn’t mind if he was spoiling them. He couldn’t do the same in his last life, so having money to spend was a dream come true, in that sense.)</p><p>(He’s always been a secret lover of his children’s happiness, after all.)</p><p> </p><p>He looked around, realizing he hadn’t spotted Cana or Gray for a while now. He hoped they weren’t lost, at least-- this was a big city, after all. Sure, they would be fine with the Domus Flau Arena as a landmark, but Cana and Gray would be grouchy if they didn’t get to wish Eir good luck before his match.</p><p>He kept a hand on his sword, prodding lazily at the musical note hanging from the hilt as he turned around.</p><p>Maybe he should get Laxus a new sword. What did Jura call this... a musica blade? It’s a nice sword, so maybe Eir could find a way to acquire one…</p><p>“Ah, there they are,” he finally spotted Cana’s ponytail in the distance, marked by the sun-yellow ribbon Eir had tactically tied the hour before.</p><p>(He needed something to spot his kids from a distance, after all. Sherry and Levy stood out because of their uniforms, and Gray would probably be half naked at some point, but Cana looked like a normal girl. So the bright yellow ribbon it was.)</p><p>“Well, they’ll be fine,” he decided. Bickslow’ dolls are still with them after all.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Gray came to a stop.</p><p>Cana turned around, annoyed. “What’re you stopping for, we’re almost there.”</p><p>There was a really nice magic store down the street that they both had an eye on, and they weren’t going to make it if there was a holdup.</p><p>Gray was staring right into an alley, and Cana joined his gaze to find a small figure crouched in the corner of the street, huddled against the boxes by the trash.</p><p>An oversized brown shawl, a thick winter jacket, and the cruddy dress underneath. They could make out the deep red hair spilling over her shoulders, and the painfully thin arms that they weren’t sure could even support the weight of her own body.</p><p>She was asleep, breathing shallow against her chest. Her bangs hid it well, but there was a white medical eyepatch strapped over her eye.</p><p>She looked terrible, even by stray child standards.</p><p>“I saw her yesterday,” he said.</p><p>Cana hummed. “And that’s your jacket.”</p><p>She spent half a moment wondering if she should make a joke about Gray being a gentleman, but she bit it back. Now wasn’t the time.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, are you okay?” Gray ran up first, crouching down warily. She didn’t rouse at all. “Think she’s from the orphanage?”</p><p>“If she was she wouldn’t be out here two days in a row,” Cana told him. “Even then, orphanages are in the outskirts, away from shopping streets. You won’t find one in the heart of Crocus. She must be a traveller.”</p><p>“Like a lost child?” Gray raised a brow at that. That didn’t make sense.</p><p>“No,” Cana had to roll her eyes. “like someone that’s trying to find home.”</p><p>Gray took a moment. Then, “oh, so like us?”</p><p>Cana was silent at that. And that was a clear answer. She reached for the redhead, shaking her by the shoulder as gently as she could, “hey. Hey, could you wake up?”</p><p>It didn’t look too great. She was thin, she looked weak, and her skin was cold.</p><p>She was breathing, but it was shallow. Maybe if they were in Magnolia, they could bring her to Porlyusica…</p><p> </p><p>“What’re you kids doin’ here?”</p><p> </p><p>They flinched. Gray immediately stood up in alarm, and Cana reached for her cards. The voice was slurred and low, and both children knew this tone well.</p><p>(It’s the voice of a drunk man, and they both knew the horrors of that.)</p><p>(In daylight, too, what the hell?)</p><p>They straightened to see a man-- no, a teenager? further in the alley. He looked to be around Bickslow’s age-- and he was drinking?</p><p>He stank of alcohol, and Gray winced at it. Cana was a little more used to it, so she drew a water card and pointed it before her.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re intoxicated,” she warned. “Please leave.”</p><p> </p><p>The teen hiccuped, brushing his loose bangs toward the back of his head. He held a gourd of sake, clumsily strung to his wrist by a thick red thread. He didn’t wear a shirt, but his shoulders were draped in light leather guards.</p><p>His hair, long to the middle of his back, was left down.</p><p>“No, no, don’t worry bout it,” he said, utterly unaware of how wary of kids were of him. “It’s daytime, but alleys are still dangerous, so stay away from these shady places, kay?”</p><p>Cana wanted to clock him over the head with a bat.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm? What’s that girl, injured?”</p><p> </p><p>Cana squeaked as the teen stepped and swung, then with movements of a curved snake, made his way all around the kids so he could have a better view of the sleeping redhead.</p><p>“S-Stay away!” she yelled, raising her card further up. Gray quickly echoed, conjuring an icicle into his hand as a weapon. </p><p>And with the close distance, Gray finally realized. </p><p>“Wait! This guy is from the tournament!” he said, reminding Cana quickly before the girl blasted him to kingdom come. “From that, wild four thing!”</p><p>“Wild Four guild… ah, you mean Quatro Cerberus?” Cana said, her shoulders easing.</p><p>The teen grinned drunkenly at that. Upon closer inspection, he was tipsy, but wasn’t acting out like adults would. “So you <em>have </em>heard of us. Yep, that’s me.”</p><p>Cana still didn’t trust him, though. “You’re Bacchus,” she addressed, careful to stand confidently as she spoke. “You’re the one that’s fighting Eir today, right?”</p><p>Bacchus nodded, “and now that I see it, you kids must be from that ‘bassador project thing,” he acknowledged. “Sorry to freak you out, but being drunk will help me with the match, so I’m just trying to get a headstart.”</p><p> </p><p>That sounded ridiculous, but who was Cana to judge.</p><p> </p><p>“Anyways, that girl’s not looking so great.” Bacchus’ eyes narrowed, look past Cana to the sleeping girl again. “We should get her back to the infirmary in the arena.”</p><p>“Huh?” Gray reacted, “we can do that? I thought it was a guild-exclusive facility.”</p><p>“You can just call her one of Eir’s kids and they’ll let you use them.”</p><p>“Ah… wait, isn’t that abuse of power?”</p><p>“That ambassador title was literally made to be abused, so it’s fine.”</p><p>Cana hissed. “Anyways, who are you to be helping a random girl on the street, huh?” she taunted snarkily, “tryin’ ta be a perv, mister?”</p><p>Bacchus raises his hands in a sort of ‘hey, easy there girl’ manner. “Fiesty one, aren't ya? But unfortunately, my creed is to always be wild and gentlemanly. Wouldn’t be much of either if I saw this and let it lie, y’know? Master Goldmine would be disappointed in me.”</p><p>Cana still looked wary, but she puffed up her cheeks and turned away.</p><p>“Enough, enough” Gray said, tired of her natural hostility and opting for a civil conversation. “Let’s get her to the infirmary, c’mon.”</p><p>They needed an adult to help carry the girl back, after all.</p><p> </p><p>“Three or four, could you go back to Eir and tell him we’re going back to the Arena first?” Cana said, calling up toward the sky.</p><p>On cue, (and to Bacchus’ surprise,) the two totem dolls emerged from their hiding spots near the balcony of the building, swirling happily around the kids.</p><p><b><em>“Back! Back! Arena! Arena!” </em></b>they chanted.</p><p>Cana waved a short goodbye, and one of them flew away in the direction of the market. The other settled on Cana’s shoulder to remain as their escort.</p><p>“Woah, doll magic,” Bacchus whistles, impressed. “That yours, girl?”</p><p>Cana hums, snarking, “maybe, who knows?”</p><p>“Awh, do you hate me?”</p><p>“Hell yeah I do.”</p><p> </p><p>Gray groaned. </p><p>“Cana, stop antagonizing him,” he said, slightly in disbelief at the fact that <em>he</em> is the one trying to calm <em>her</em> down from trouble. “And uh, Bacchus-san, right? Your match is starting soon as well, so we should all hurry either way.”</p><p>Cana turned around with an annoyed huff.</p><p>Bacchus laughed boisterously at that. “Y’know what, I think I like you kids.”</p><p>Cana <em>seethed. </em>“Well, I don’t like you at all!” She declared vehemently, because she needed to make that point very clear or this guy would probably pretend to forget it immediately. </p><p>“Cana, stop antagonizing him!”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. slow recovery.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Erza wakes up, and she doesn't know where she is. Cana and Gray bring her around, wrapping her in warm clothes and showing her off to a family of people that were kind. She's a little overwhelmed, but she can handle this. </p><p>(She doesn't know she's been adopted yet.)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eir made it back to the arena in time for the nurses of the infirmary to report on the red-haired girl’s injuries.</p><p>(He had left Laxus and Bickslow to babysit, because this seemed more urgent.)</p><p>“Ah, Eir,” the doctor addressed him, holding out a dainty hand as she smiled. “There’s a lot more to go after, but I’ll extend the recovery instructions to one of your guildmates. I trust you will be taking this girl in?”</p><p> </p><p>Little Red was asleep on the bed, evidently malnourished, war-torn.</p><p>Eir winced at the sight. (It was like looking in a very old reflection.)</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” he says, dropping an ambassador pin into the nurse’s hand. “I’ll leave her in your hands, then. I’ll come back after my match.”</p><p>Gray and Cana sat on her bedside, watching warily. Gray wasn’t wearing his jacket-- it was laid out on the girl as an extra blanket, because she had been shivering even under the covers of the infirmary.</p><p>“She’ll be uneasy when she wakes up,” Eir whispered to Cana and Gray. “Be friendly, and take her outside of the infirmary if she can walk.”</p><p>Eir, for one, would definitely hate the hell out of infirmaries in her situation.</p><p>(He doesn’t know her situation, but he can take a wild guess.)</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>“Understood!”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Bacchus Groh had stayed outside, looking slightly tipsy but he hadn’t touched his gourd of booze since arriving, as infirmary courtesy dictates.</p><p>Drinking as a teenager? Seriously, drinking laws in this world are nonexistent, are they… hold on, this kid can’t be any older than Bickslow, so why is he so darn tall?</p><p>(He’s about as tall as Laxus…)</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks for helping out,” Eir said, in lieu of a greeting.</p><p>“No sweat, buddy,” Bacchus returned. “Couldn’t exactly leave those kids out hanging to dry, could I? Ponytail’s pretty spiky, though.”</p><p>“You mean Cana?” Eir acknowledged the nickname with a chuckle. Leaning against the wall, he decides that this guy was a friendly link after all. Cana only ever argued with people she trusted, after all-- “I apologize for her. Would a meal after our match suffice?”</p><p>He doesn’t remind Bacchus that he’s also a kid-- he doesn’t seem like he’ll appreciate that.</p><p>Bacchus grins at that. “I like you, buddy! With lots of booze, got it?”</p><p>Eir chortled at that. “In moderation.”</p><p> </p><p>They look toward the infirmary to see Cana had come over in a rushed move, zeroing in on Bacchus in annoyance. She immediately latches onto Eir in a show of territory.</p><p>She gritted her teeth, “Eir is coming with <em>us</em> after his match because he’s going to <em>win</em> and all of us are going to <em>celebrate!</em>” she insisted, sticking out her tongue. “You go with your own guild!”</p><p>Bacchus pouts at that, leaning down with an obnoxious grin, “oh, but Eir promised <em>me</em> first though. That means I’ve got him booked for the evening. Sorry, pony.”</p><p>Cana bristled at that, “wha-- you thief!”</p><p>Bacchus stuck out a tongue at her in response, because apparently, they were both absolute brats. Then in a show of bravado, slings an arm around Eir’s shoulders. “Sorry kids, but your big brother and I have a prior engagement. <em>Toodles.</em>”</p><p>With a curt salute, he swung a hundred eighty into the right direction, bringing Eir with him (earning a startled squeak) as he began to march toward the arena.</p><p>Eir regained his balance in a moment.</p><p> </p><p>He was worried about Little Red, and Cana and Gray as well-- but for now, he found himself awaiting the promised drinking party between him and Bacchus more than anything else.</p><p>Because a <em>drink</em>, that’s something he hasn’t been able to enjoy for a while. Getting lost in the burn of alcohol cheering away his sorrows-- that’s something he’s been deprived of for this life, because of all the kids and his self-conscience.</p><p>(Wouldn’t a drink just be perfect with all of everything that’s happened thus far in this cesspool of a test?)</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll have to come back for Little Red, though, so it’ll be a bit of a crowd,” he reminds Bacchus, “I have other kids to pick up, so they might come by.”</p><p>Bacchus pouts at that. “C’mon, take a break, would ya? Drink yourself under the table and make your kids take care of you for once.”</p><p>Eir’s face heats up at that, “hey, you <em>know</em> I can’t do that!” First of all, that would be embarrassing as hell; second of all, irresponsible as their caretaker; third of all, he would <em>never</em> hear the end of the blackmail material.</p><p>And he has a match tomorrow. That too.</p><p>Bacchus grinned in all the wrong ways. “Challenge accepted.”</p><p>“Hey, I said no!” Eir chased after him as he took off in a run. “Bacchus, do you hear me?!”</p><p> </p><p>Cana shrieked out something unintelligible in the background, and Gray ran out of the infirmary in a panic, wondering what on earth happened.</p><p>“Eir got kidnapped!” Cana yelled.</p><p>Gray groaned. “Well let’s hope this doesn’t become a trend.”</p><p>Though Eir pursued Bacchus in annoyance, there’s a clear smile on his face. It’s enough to bring Cana’s ire down to a resigned sigh, and Gray pats her on the shoulder in understanding.</p><p>(Anyone that can make Eir smile is welcome here.)</p><p> </p><p>“Huh…? Where am I?”</p><p>Cana and Gray whirled around simultaneously to see Little Red with her head raised off her pillow, an elbow against the bed as she attempted to rise.</p><p>“She’s awake!”</p><p>“Awh, you barely missed Eir.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>When Erza woke up, she finds herself somewhere she didn’t remember making her way into. And that, if anything, was a red flag.</p><p>When two figures ran up to her, she squeaked in alarm, hands reaching out of the covers for the nearest solid object-- which, she finds on the bedside stand, is a pin.</p><p>It’s a small, silver pin, crafted in the shape of a very familiar emblem.</p><p>“Fairy Tail?” Erza asks, not quite believing this would be beside her. Why was it, anyways?</p><p>“It’s our guild mark,” one of the two figures, the girl with the ponytail, explains. (Erza jumps back, having forgotten they were there.) She lifts the hem of her shirt to display the mark at her abdomen. “Cool, right?”</p><p>“You’re in the Domus Flau stadium right now,” the boy informed her-- which explains a lot, actually. She had managed to wander back to Crocus in her sleep haze, that wasn’t a dream after all.</p><p>(Which means Rosemary Village is really…)</p><p> </p><p>The plain brick walls and medical supplies were quite disturbing, but the colorful, healthy presence of the two children right around her age, (because fellow slaves would never have such beautiful hair, wear such clean, beautiful clothing...) the warm jacket in her lap, and the cacophony from outside-- of a cheering crowd rather than the crash of construction-- eased her, just a little.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s an Eir pin,” the girl explained. “Wear it somewhere, it’ll protect you from outsiders and make you more likely to get free food from the vendors around town.”</p><p>Erza blinked at that.</p><p>“...Really?”</p><p>Indeed, such a convenient pin cannot possibly exist-- and yet, here it was, made a possibility with Eir's efforts.</p><p>“Yep, really!” the girl told her with a bright smile. “That aside, are you feeling alright? Hungry or dizzy? We can call the nurse.”</p><p>Quickly, Erza shook her head. A nurse? Getting a nurse called would mean a report to the slave drivers and a mark for deteriorating usability. She can’t afford--</p><p>Oh.</p><p> </p><p>She saw her wrist-- saw the permanent scar left behind by years of chafing from shackles-- and she wrapped her fingers around them, tucking it close to her body in an attempt to hide.</p><p>(She’s not there anymore, she can’t forget that.)</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go outside,” Gray suggested. Erza looked up, confused-- outside? “You hear the cheers? Eir’s match is going to start any moment now. We can go watch it together.”</p><p>Ah, right, they were in Domu Flau, where the mage tournament was happening.</p><p>Eir?</p><p>The question must’ve shown on her face, because the girl quickly explained. “Eir takes care of all of us. Once the tournament is over, we can go get you some pretty new clothes and stuff.”</p><p>New… clothes?</p><p>“Eir… Eir Macmillan?” Erza repeated, remembering the name from the one match she saw on the big screen.</p><p>The girl smiled at that. “Yep, that’s him! Know him?”</p><p>Erza shook her head.</p><p>“Well, then let’s go see his match anyways,” the boy suggested, “I don’t wanna miss it.”</p><p> </p><p>There wasn’t much else to do, but Erza found herself strapping on the light jacket that was too big for her, tucking the pin by the hair above her ear, and following the two children out into the audience stands.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right-- I’m Cana! And this is Gray. What’s your name?”</p><p>Her smile was bright, it reminded her of Milliana. Cheerful, joyous, and it hurt to see, yet it warmed her heart so much, she can’t help but feel at ease.</p><p>Gray looked on patiently, his smile a light curve. He had given her his jacket a few days ago as well-- the one she was wearing now wasn’t the same one, and she wondered where the old one went. The shawl was gone as well.</p><p>(To the trash, or to the wash? She didn’t know. But it was fine, probably. She’s used to losing things.)</p><p>(She’ll have to gather more things from now on, and gain the strength to hold onto them without losing them this time.)</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Erza.”</p><p> </p><p>(They’re not replacements for her old friends. They’re not replacements for her old family.)</p><p>A crowd of Fairy Tail members greeted her with joy and relief. There, she introduces herself, and is introduced to, everyone of note.</p><p>From the tall, blond teenager who quietly hands her a bag of clothes, to the four totem dolls that couldn’t help but cheer her name over and over once she told them-- it was noisy, and it was sort of fun.</p><p>A girl with pink hair and a gorgeous dress hands Erza her large bunny doll, insisting that she hug it. Erza, afraid to dirty it, initially refused. Now she held onto it nervously, trying to avoid touching as much of the white parts as she could.</p><p>A dark-skinned boy offers her a warm mug of tea-- she accepted it, but for some reason, he turned away and, with flushed ears, simply ordered her to drink it. Slowly, though, don’t choke on it. Not that he cares or anything.</p><p>A girl with mint green hair swung a key in the air, and in a moment, Erza found herself facing another girl with pink-hair (though she looks much older), who conjured for her an abnormally soft pink muffler.</p><p>Erza’s warm enough with the jacket, but she loves this muffler too. She lets herself soak in the comfort it gives her, and listens to the crowd bicker.</p><p> </p><p>“Look, Erza. That’s Eir. And the sword he’s holding can change forms depending on how much magic he puts into it. He usually only uses the sword and spear, but…”</p><p> </p><p>(One day, she will get back everything she’s lost.)</p><p>(Today, she will let herself feel the warmth of humankind again, because she no longer has the strength to entertain her own misery.)</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0037"><h2>37. smile again.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eir and Bacchus' match goes underway. </p><p>Erza learns what freedom-- real, guiltless liberty-- means.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>"After a two-day break, we are BACK to the S-class inter-guild battles! It’ll be a rough one today, folks-- hear and hold your expectations </b>
  <b>
    <em>high</em>
  </b>
  <b>, for today, we have </b>
  <b>
    <em>the</em>
  </b>
  <b> favourite to win, Eir Macmillan of Fairy Tail, back on field!”</b>
</p><p>The announcer intensely hypes up the battle, and the crowd was more than happy to feed the exuberant energy.</p><p>“Do you have to say my full name every time?” Eir muttered, annoyed.</p><p> </p><p>The fiasco of a few days ago has been explained away formally as Aria’s Drain magic. Magic was synonymous to willpower and strength, and the power to absorb it was a show of sheer effort, after all-- not everyone is capable of converting magic power and absorbing it as instantaneously as Aria could.</p><p>Eir’s will had overpowered Aria’s-- and thus, the magic backfired. That is what they told the masses.</p><p>(Eir still wanted to find Aria, if only to hear from a fellow transfer-magic user. But he would be alright with never seeing him again, too.)</p><p>It’s quite convenient, honestly. To those of the lesser understanding, having a lot of magic was simply a sign of strength. Which is why Ur made a habit of greeting people with a mild blast of magic to establish dominance and thwart any underhanded intentions.</p><p>(Ur’s innate, Ten Wizard Saint-levelled magic capacity was most likely inherited by her daughter, which was why she also suffered from Magic Overload.)</p><p>(Maybe that’s why people with untamable magic capacities, like Eir, don’t exist anymore. They went extinct, because they couldn’t survive into adulthood.)</p><p>(Well, he’ll stop thinking about that.)</p><p> </p><p>He brought a smile to his face as he set a hand on his sword.</p><p>Bacchus set his gourd of sake on the ground. He wasn’t planning on using it yet, but it’s there if he needs to reach it.</p><p><b>“He’ll be going against the young but mighty dark horse of the tournament so far-- Bacchus Groh of Quatro Cerberus!”</b> louder cheers went up.<b> “Now cast your votes cause we're spinning that roulette in three, two, ONE!"</b></p><p>The screen spun again, and then it rolled quietly to a stop on an image of a magnet</p><p>Simultaneously, Eir and Bacchus crashed to the ground with a startled yelp.</p><p>A sudden weight dragged him backward, and his legs crumbled right under the added mass. Bacchus landed harshly on his back, before throwing his body forward in a struggle to stay upright with all his strength.</p><p><b>“The Magnetism field!”</b> the announcer declares, overjoyed.<b> “Simply put, all metal objects will be pulled toward the ground! It’s strong, so there’s no hope in using those weapons anytime soon!”</b></p><p>These fields are so annoying. <em>Do we really need them?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><b>“Right off the bat, Bacchus is at a disadvantage with his heavy armor!”</b> the announcer narrates,<b> “but things aren’t exactly looking bright for Eir either! In this field, he’s unable to use any of his weapons! This might be a tough one.”</b></p><p>Knowing immediately what this meant, Bacchus tightened his fists with a loud roar, “Wild--”</p><p>His guildmates in the audience cheer back loudly, “FOUR!”</p><p>His armor stripped off in one strong swipe against the buckles.</p><p>
  <b>“WILD! Leave it to the Cerberus to win against a magnet in the raw power department! Bacchus removes his armor in an instant! If Eir doesn’t move now, he’s in trouble!”</b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Following his example, Eir tugged his sword off by the buckle, stripping off his belt in the same motion. There’s steel in the cover of his boots, so he quickly stepped out of those too--</p><p>“Ain’t waiting!” Bacchus declared, raising his arms and churning by in one large, soaring step.</p><p>Eir only managed to release one boot. His other foot was planted on the ground-- so he failed to dodge.</p><p>The palm came forward in a harsh, painful strike against the side of his head. He’s blown aside painfully, the impact ringing sharply in his ear.</p><p>Eir landed on his hands.</p><p>His foot, bolted to the ground by the magnetism of the field-- actually anchored him. So he threw his free foot back, swinging fully upward in a wide stride, performing a perfect split downward whilst bringing his heel toward Bacchus’s chin.</p><p>Bacchus didn’t see the movement coming, and a brutal sock in the jaw sent him reeling.</p><p> </p><p><b>“Now that was ONE hell of a development! Eir isn’t letting a lack of a weapon disrupt him at all!”</b> the announcer yells, to the heated cheers of the crowd. <b>“Seems like this will devolve into a martial arts battle after all. In that case, I can’t help but think Bacchus, the Palm Magic user, would have an advantage…”</b></p><p>
  
</p><p>Bacchus lifted his head just in time to see Eir free his remaining foot.</p><p>“You’re a lot more flexible than I thought,” Bacchus muttered.</p><p>Eir scoffed at that, his lips twitching upward in amusement. “Basics,” he simply said. “Guess it’s close combat this round, huh. Been a while since I had to do that.”</p><p>“C’mon, dude, use your magic, I don’t mind.”</p><p>“How about you make me?”</p><p> </p><p>(Eir wasn’t familiar with Bacchus’ exact form (it’s probably an original creation, anyways,) but the unique stances, the alcohol, and the emphasis on palm strikes? ...Well, even Eir has watched a little of Naruto, a long time ago.)</p><p>(Of course, that’s definitely nothing compared to the real martial art forms that were the source of inspiration, but it’s something for Eir to go off of, at least.)</p><p>(It’s not like he has google to tell him what it is. He has to do a bit of guesswork with whatever forms of information he can remember.)</p><p> </p><p>Eir took the last of his time to tear off his jacket as well. It’s a fancy product from Vandalay with lots of gaudy buttons, so though little, they must’ve been weighted down by the field as well.</p><p>He took off his hair tie, keeping it in his mouth for a moment as he pulled his hair high and up into a bun. If this is going to turn into a martial art battle, he’ll need it out of the way.</p><p>“Anything else to take off for the crowd, buddy?” Bacchus teased.</p><p>Eir rolled his eyes. “You’re already shirtless, Bacchus. I think I’m fine.”</p><p>(Eir shouldn’t use his magic.)</p><p>(Didn’t want to cause serious wounds, after all.)</p><p>And they begin fighting once more.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Erza watched the scene in awe.</p><p>Eir wasn’t using his sword this time, but his movements were similarly graceful. A jaunting leap, a fluid parry of arms-- and a swift exchange of hard blows.</p><p>Eir picked up a piece of discarded armor-- and with clear effort, he heaved it up from the ground and jumped to gain height, forcing past the drag of the magnets.</p><p>Bacchus swiped his gourd of sake, taking a large gulp before tossing it aside.</p><p>The projectile shot forward at a speed invisible to the eye, a jet of bright silver light exacerbated by the magnets bringing it down tenfold.</p><p>But Bacchus simply swerved, half a foot off the ground, arm bending back and spine pulled in a much too tipsy direction.</p><p>The bullet plunged into the earth.</p><p>Bacchus lands in a bridge, before shifting cheerfully into a handstand. He inspects the leftover crater with a laugh, clearly intoxicated as he hopped back to his feet.</p><p> </p><p>Erza can’t hear them talk from here, but she can see that they’re exchanging casual remarks even in the midst of battle.</p><p> </p><p>Eir’s smile only grew as it went on.</p><p>A punch-- Bacchus dodges-- two more, and Bacchus slides aside each time.</p><p>A broad elbow, and Bacchus simply throws his head back, kicking upward. Eir skids back just in time, landing on his hands and throwing his legs out. But Bacchus jumps.</p><p>Bacchus cackled at something. Eir snapped back, frustrated, but when he landed his next hit by accident, he burst into laughter. Bacchus, almost pouting, drives the man’s face into the soil-- only to get wrapped up by thighs and twisted right into the soil himself.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, was Eir always this good at CQC?”</p><p>It seemed like the guild was surprised as well.</p><p>“He always uses his sword, so… I’ve never seen him fight fully without weapons or magic before,” Cana admitted. “Laxus?”</p><p>“No… I’ve never seen this before either.”</p><p>“What, so he’s been holding back on us all this time? No fair.”</p><p>“How is it possible that a human is this flawless? Eir’s a <em>cheat</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>So he’s an enigma as well. Erza found comfort in knowing that someone so mysterious could stay in the core of this guild, yet hold such close hands.</p><p>Maybe, jaded as she was, she could live here comfortably, pretending to forget. They wouldn’t care about her past, would they? That would be a relief.</p><p> </p><p>“Somehow… It feels like Eir enjoys barehanded battle much better, doesn’t he?”</p><p>“I wonder why doesn’t he do it more often?”</p><p>“Hey c’mon now, he loves swords too, just let him juggle his arsenal on his own.”</p><p> </p><p>This contact-less exchange between the two S-class hopefuls continued for the next minute or so, and Erza couldn’t help but be completely entranced.</p><p>(They looked like they were having so much <em>fun</em>.)</p><p>(Battles for Erza have always been violence. It was a precedence for pain and a tool to assert dominance, whether as a slave master, or as the driving force of a revolution.)</p><p>(Yet, Eir and Bacchus danced around each other, laughing as they missed, cheering as they roughoused. They battled like two children trying to out-impress each other-- full of enjoyment, boundless and adventurous, learning more about each other as it went on.)</p><p> </p><p>Erza watched-- and for some reason-- she hoped that this battle would never end.</p><p>When she saw others in the guild share a contented smile at the sight, she knew they felt the same way.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Goddamit, I’ll make you use your magic next time!”</p><p>As expected, Eir won. </p><p>Wrapped in bandages, covered in pain-reducing salve, and Eir needing a crutch, the group headed for the hot springs nearby.</p><p>Because there was a bar there, of course.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously, your foot twisted just because I threw you around for a bit,” Bacchus scowled, “you’re good at fighting I’ll give you that, but aren’t your limbs too weak?”</p><p>"Says the person that lost anyway."</p><p>Eir shrugged, brushing away the knots on Levy’s hair to fasten it with a bandanna. Next in line was Erza, washed and dressed in a warm onsen yukata, but she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.</p><p>“I’m more surprised you just kept jumping around with that leg,” Gray muttered, tying Cana’s sash for her, “what would you have done if it was worse than a sprain?”</p><p>“He’ll be fine,” Laxus said. “He’s weak, but he heals naturally better than us."</p><p>"He'll be perfect by tomorrow." </p><p>“Oh, I learned that in school,” Levy said, excited. “Dormant magic power reinforces broken or malfunctioning parts when they find any, helping them heal. It’s nothing compared to actual Healing magic, those methods are lost now-- but Eir has a ton of magic power, so that bridges the gap significantly either way.”</p><p>“Which is why he gets tons of fevers, but he’s always alright within a day or two,” Sherry added, excited. “The power of <em>Love</em>, right?”</p><p>“Huh? So his magic is the reason he’s weak, but it’s also the reason he recovers quickly?”</p><p>“Isn’t it strange how magic works sometimes...”</p><p> </p><p>Bacchus seemed to have hit it off pretty quickly with Laxus and Bickslow, though Cana’s still a prickly hostile that hides behind Laxus to make faces at the drunken fist master.</p><p>“If Eir could use his sword, you would have lost in a second! Don’t get cocky!” Cana hissed at him.</p><p>Bacchus blanched. “I am not! Heck, I’m the one that was trying to make him use his magic!” he argued, “though, he won either way…”</p><p>“That’s because you’re weak!” Cana teased.</p><p>“Weak! Weak!” Bickslow’s dolls echoed.</p><p>“Oh you wanna go, ponytail and mini goblins?” Bacchus stood up, cracking his knuckles. “I won’t even need any sake to deal with you punks.”</p><p>Cana drew her cards, “oh, bring it on!”</p><p>“Did you just call my babies <em>mini goblins</em>?!” Bickslow swirled to attention, even though he was all the way over at the balcony, “this is war!”</p><p>“I don’t care what stupidity you guys get up to but don’t fight when I’m between you!” Laxus raised his voice.</p><p> </p><p>(Ah, Laxus, now you understand the pain of being the oldest in a mixture of teenagers.)</p><p> </p><p>Eir watched as Karen worked her hands through Sherry’s hair, easily parting them into the twintails. Karen, on the other hand, made do with a bun. When she tied little pigtails into Ren’s hair, let’s just say Ren didn’t not not not protest.</p><p>Eir brushed Erza’s hair quickly, helping her fasten the Eir pin around her ear before deeming her decent. There’s nothing they can do about the scars on her arms, not that she’s particularly trying to hide them-- but he wraps them in bandages with salve and hopes they heal soon.</p><p>“Have you gotten used to everyone now?” Eir asked her, and she jolted in surprise, not expecting to be talked to.</p><p>“Ah- yes,” she responded stoically, turning around, she bowed. “I really appreciate being taken in. Words cannot express my gratitude.”</p><p>Eir took her hands in his.</p><p>“You don’t need to thank me,” he said. His voice was low-- gentle, like he was being careful, even with the way his voice fluctuated in each syllable. “You don’t need to stay here if you don’t want to, either. You’re free to do whatever you want, after all.”</p><p> </p><p>And those were words that hurt her.</p><p>(Freedom, to her, was a scar that would never stop hurting.)</p><p> </p><p>“That doesn’t mean you need to forget anything that happened, though,” Eir told her. “Nobody really gets over the painful things, and that's fine.”</p><p>Erza flinched, because at that moment-- it felt like her mind had been read. But Eir simply released her hands, and set his own around his abdomen.</p><p>She could see it in her eyes-- the same darkness that clouded her, the same, poisonous thoughts that plagued her dreams, that she couldn’t imagine would ever fade.</p><p>“How do I become as strong as you?”</p><p>When Erza asked that, Eir cast a glance at his sword. The real meaning of that question didn’t lie in raw power-- but in the sheer resolve one would need to overcome the phantom chains that once shackled them to the ground.</p><p>Eir set his hand on his heart. “All magic comes from the same place, Erza,” he told her. “When you fight for this reason-- you become stronger.”</p><p> </p><p>The essence of magic, the One Magic.</p><p>(Erza knows of it from Grandpa Rob’’s stories. Everyone fulfills the condition to wield it, that is why everyone can be a mage. And yet, no one knows exactly what it is.)</p><p>(Does Eir know what it is?)</p><p>(Is that why he has so much magic?)</p><p>(So much that it’s unable to contain it within himself, and it runs rampant, ruining his health in the process?)</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay if you’re not okay,” Eir said. “Part of the healing is figuring out where to go from here. If you’re lost on your own…” he took her hand, “then we’ll all get lost with you. It’s less lonely that way, right?”</p><p>Erza knew she didn’t deserve this.</p><p>This happiness, this acceptance, this <em>love</em>.</p><p>And yet, when he spoke of it in such a warm, benevolent tone-- she couldn’t help but believe it, and lean just a little closer, yearning for this very thing he was promising.</p><p>She didn’t deserve this.</p><p>(And they know that, but they brought her in anyway.)</p><p>
  <em>Is it possible for people to be so kind?</em>
</p><p>She doesn’t know, but it doesn’t matter now.</p><p> </p><p>“Then…” her voice was choked back with a sob. She couldn’t cry, though-- the tears wouldn’t come. But her eyes burned and her throat hurt, so maybe this was as close as she could get, “then… can I join Fairy Tail?”</p><p>When Eir’s forehead touched hers, she felt warm.</p><p>“Of course you can.”</p><p> </p><p>Because it didn’t matter that the course of events were obvious. Her feelings needed to be validated-- so Eir, without question-- was giving them the acknowledgement it needed.</p><p> </p><p>Later, when they filed down to the bar, argued over drinks and Erza found herself before a mountain of food-- she enjoyed herself.</p><p>She doesn’t protest as Karen and Cana pulled her to the side to talk about their hilarious ‘I was here first’ hierarchy no one could agree on.</p><p>She went along with the boys as Gray lost his clothes, and then Ren lost his temper at Gray for losing his clothes. Bickslow and Bacchus were still between drinks, neither giving up, and both tipsy in their drunken stupor.</p><p>She listened patiently to Laxus’ drunken, disgruntled ramblings of new siblings that were just a bunch of menaces, but he loved them anyways. Yeah, he didn’t understand either.</p><p>Sherry and Levy tried to introduce her to books, but once they found out she couldn’t read, there was a whole fiasco about who was going to teach her.</p><p> </p><p>(She couldn’t help but grimly imagine how much livelier it would be, if her siblings from the tower were here as well.)</p><p>(Miliana would be fawning over Sherry’s dolls. Wally would make Ren chase them around, just like Gray-- and Sho would be fussing over them for making a mess of the bar, though he would undeniably join in soon enough. Simon may hang around Karen, social as he was. Occasionally, he would glance in Erza's direction, and she would pretend not to notice.)</p><p>(And Jellal… he would be seated beside Eir, warmly watching the scene. He may even curry a story out of the Wind mage. He always loved adventure, after all.)</p><p> </p><p>She took a sip of the juice in her hands, buried her face into Sherry’s oversized rabbit doll-- and she smiled, just a little. </p><p> </p>
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